Frightened of becoming the next alleged child molester, Minnesota representative Mary Franson has turned down a high school politics class’ invitation to speak out of fear of being accused of sexual assault. “That is a risk I will not take,” she declared in a private Facebook post.
According to The Week, the Alexandria Area High School Democrats asked their local Republican representative to meet to discuss issues like climate change and college affordability — a request that’s not untypical of political student groups, but one that startled Franson. Attempting to justify her denial, she said she does not “meet with partisan organizations,” but that “this has absolutely nothing to do with me not wanting to meet with Democrats.”
It didn’t take long for the real reason she turned down the invitation to reveal itself: She’s terrified of being the next Roy Moore.
“A man’s life was destroyed in AL,” Franson wrote in her Facebook post. “40 years ago he met with minors alone and they recently accused him of horrendous actions. In the world of we must believe every sexual harassment claim, I would think my approach is beyond reasonable. All it takes is one perceived action and my life is destroyed.”
Jack Ballou, the 17-year-old founder of the student group who could not see the message because Franson blocked him on Facebook, was confused when Franson brought up Moore, given he had asked the representative to discuss issues pertaining to the environment and higher education.
“If any of what she said was true, she could have just told us initially that she doesn’t meet with minors,” Ballou said. “I’m also so confused how she started defending Roy Moore.”