(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) The National Multiple Sclerosis Society cut ties with a 90-year-old volunteer for not understanding the most fashionable and latest pronoun trends, Twitchy reported.
After 60 years of service, Kali Kumor, the organization’s manager of community engagement, sent Fran Itkoff, whose last name is redacted, a letter informing her that “her role as a volunteer is coming to an end.”
UNREAL. National MS Society (@mssociety) forced a 90-year-old volunteer to step down because she wasn’t “inclusive” enough after she asked what pronouns are.
Fran volunteered for 60 years and her late husband had MS.
The @mssociety still hasn’t said a word about this. Don’t… pic.twitter.com/OlXrT2kClQ
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 14, 2024
Itkoff was turned away as a result of her “failure” to abide by the organization’s “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion guidelines during your time as a volunteer,” said the letter.
“Unfortunately,” Kumor continued, “based on the situation, we have made the difficult decision to have you step down from your volunteer position, effective immediately.”
Libs of TikTok posted a video of Itkoff reflecting on the situation.
“I didn’t know what it was, what it meant,” Itkoff said, referring to the pronouns she was seeing in various correspondence letters and emails.
Confused, Itkoff decided to ask someone at the MS Society about it.
“I didn’t know what that meant, so finally I was talking to [Kumor] and thought, I’ll ask ‘What does it mean?’ and let her tell me.”
Asking that question led to Itkoff’s termination as a volunteer several days later.
In response to the media attention since the severing of that relationship, the MS Society released a statement acknowledging the situation and attempting to explain what happened.
“Fran has been a valued member of our volunteer team for more than 60 years,” they wrote, adding that their staff “acted with the best of intentions and did their best to navigate a challenging issue.”
Ultimately, they argued, “we are in a continued conversation about assuring that our diversity, equity and inclusion policies evolve in service of our mission, and will reach out to Fran in service of this goal.”
The organization, unsurprisingly, has been woke for some time. MS Society President Cyndi Zagieboylo’s bio, for instance, says that the group strives to “demonstrate our commitment to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion in everything we do.”
Further, she previously posted a video wherein she committed to advancing woke policies.
BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: President of @mssociety has unexpectedly quietly decided to retire. I’m told by an employee this is completely sudden and out of the blue. Unclear if it’s related to this story.
This was her DEI video where she says they’re inclusive of everyone. Everyone… https://t.co/rhNSSPKQxo pic.twitter.com/LtwOgschIE
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 15, 2024
“We are a movement by and for everyone,” Zagieboylo said, echoing DEI talking points.
“Understanding historical realities while focusing on ensuring equity in everything we do makes us better!” she added.
