A student at the McGill University in Montreal was made to issue an apology for emailing an animated image of President Obama kicking open a door. The student's act was deemed a "microaggression," the Daily Caller reports.
The image, which came from The Tonight Show late last year, jokingly highlighted the fact that the president could be tired of press conferences, showing him fleeing one. The McGill student, Brian Farnan, who is also the vice president of the university’s student government, sent out the email with the image captioned, "Honestly midterms get out of here," the report notes.
It was then things unraveled for Farnan, as another student put forward a formal complaint, accusing Farnan of committing a "microaggression."
Farnan wrote in his apology that the image was problematic because of the "cultural, historical and living legacy surrounding people of color—particularly young men—being portrayed as violent," the Caller noted.
"Despite the innocent intentions influencing my decision to use this particular image, I have come to recognize the negative implications of adding the .GIF image within this given context," he added. "By using this particular image of President Obama, I unknowingly perpetuated this living legacy and subsequently allowed a medium of [Student Society of McGill University] communication to become the site of a microaggression; for this, I am deeply sorry."
However, Farnan’s punishment is seen as a bit controversial, pushing the student government to review its equity policy.
Read more at the Daily Caller.