Brandon University: Theo Fleury's misinformation 'a stain on his legacy'
Brandon University, which gave Theo Fleury an honorary degree for shining a light on child sexual abuse in junior hockey, released a statement Tuesday expressing its disappointment in the former NHLer for spreading conspiracy theories about vaccine passports.
In particular, the Canadian school called his latest inflammatory social media post "reprehensible." Fleury said vaccine passports would allow pedophiles to "know where your kids are at all times."
"Fleury's significant contributions to exposing the rot in junior hockey, and to supporting other survivors of child sexual abuse through recovery, continue to deserve respect," the university wrote.
"It is understandable that he may struggle to trust authority, and that he may see dark motives in others' actions. His recent statements, however, go beyond reasonable distrust and are a stain on his legacy, which saddens us."
The school then called on Fleury to show self-awareness and educate himself about the value of vaccinations.
"One of the tragedies of abuse is how it perpetuates itself across generations. We call on Fleury to recognize that he is now a person in a position of authority, and to recognize that his actions as an authority put him in a place where he can cause harm to others," the statement reads.
"We hope he takes advantage of the resources at his disposal and seeks greater understanding of the science behind the pandemic and the essential public health role of vaccines."
After Fleury received criticism for his since-deleted tweet, he responded by sharing a screenshot showing some of his achievements, including the honorary doctorate BU gave him in 2015.
The university emphasized Tuesday that honorary degrees aren't academic credentials and are handed out to acknowledge a person's accomplishments or contributions.
Fleury revealed in 2009 that he was abused by his former junior hockey coach, Graham James, who was found guilty after the now-53-year-old filed a criminal complaint.