- Key insight: Jane Smith was ousted as CEO of Family First Credit Union after posting a photo appearing to show her family wearing "Lake America" sweatshirts.
- What's at stake: The CEO's post favoring President Trump's renaming of Lake Ontario led to calls for a boycott of the credit union.
- Forward look: Family First Credit Union disavowed Smith's post, apologized to its members, and appointed an interim CEO.
The CEO of a Michigan credit union has been ousted after posting a photo of her family wearing "Lake America" sweatshirts that went viral, sparking a backlash in Canada.
The controversy began on Sept. 11 when Jane Smith, the CEO of Family First Credit Union, in Saginaw, Michigan, posted a photo showing herself and three relatives wearing navy blue sweatshirts with the words "Lake America" in white, before they boarded a flight to Canada.
Smith told WJRT-TV,
The credit-union CEO posted the photo to her private Facebook account with an AI-disclosure tag. She told the TV station that her sister took a screenshot of the photo and reposted it publicly with the caption: "Like our sweatshirts? Not sure Canada will. Lol lol."
The reaction across the border was swift.
Canadians criticized the timing of the photo, coming on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and accused the visitors of disrespecting Canada. They noted that Canadians in Halifax, Nova Scotia, helped accommodate thousands of displaced U.S. airline passengers on Sept. 11, 2001, when American airspace was closed.
Smith later apologized and told the TV station that she had to cut her trip to Canada short after receiving death threats.
On Sept. 23, Family First Credit Union announced in a
"We sincerely apologize for the concern, disappointment and pain this situation has caused our members and community," the credit union wrote on Facebook. "We understand that members of our community may hold different perspectives about this decision. Our responsibility is to act in the best interest of the Credit Union, uphold the trust of our members and continue putting our community first."
The $96.8 million-asset institution named Jason Acosta, its chief operations officer, as interim CEO. Another
Smith said in a Sept. 16 statement to the TV station that the Lake America sweatshirts were meant as a joke.
"It was insensitive, distasteful and in poor judgment," she told the TV outlet. "It should never have been created or shared. Though the image did not depict a real event, I understand that the image was hurtful and offensive. I never intended to insult, mock or harm anyone, but I recognize that my intent does not erase the impact. … I made a mistake. I own that mistake, and I am committed to learning from it."
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Family First, which is based less than a two-hour drive from Michigan's border with Ontario, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Smith could not be reached for comment.
Trump's executive order has put U.S. companies and other politicians in awkward positions. Apple and Google quickly fell into line behind Trump, changing the name of the lake in their map products.
Rep. Tom Kean, a New Jersey Republican who is locked in a tough reelection fight, took a different tack during a debate Sunday night. "I call it Lake Ontario," he said.
