A Kewanee woman has ignited a firestorm online after a controversial video surfaced on X (formerly Twitter) by ‘I Meme ThereforeI Am’. Lauren Dynes-Gillespie made remarks in a video about assisting persons who collect the bounty on President Donald Trump by Iran and suggested taking additional members of his administration in Washington, sparking criticism and concern. The video quickly gained traction on Twitter with over 230k views and over 10k shares. Find the video here
In a statement from Abilities Plus this morning, Lauren Dynes-Gillespie is no longer employed by Abilities Plus following an internal review. Abilities Plus said they were made aware of the social media content and her “views are not representative of Abilities Plus and are inconsistent with our mission, values, and commitment to serving individuals with dignity, respect, and inclusion.“
“We want to be clear that Abilities Plus does not support or endorse the content shared. Our organization remains committed to creating a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all individuals we serve, their families, and our community partners.”
Ms. Dynes-Gillespie appears to have deactivated her Facebook account. We have attempted to make contact for a comment.
This is a transcription of the video: “Iran has come out and clarified that they’re only after Trump and not all of America. Totally understand guys. Do you guys like need a place to stay when you take care of business? Can we take you out to lunch to thank you? You let us know. Do you want to party after it’s done? We can do it. We can do it. And you know what? Don’t stop with just the one. There’s quite a few others up there that you can take as well. Go big or go home. That’s my motto. Don’t just stop at one. Overachieve. That’s what we want from you, Iran. Because there’s a core group in Washington. Take them all. They’re yours. We’ll have lunch after to discuss. And thank you.”
Official statement from Abilities Plus:
“Abilities Plus has been made aware of social media content shared by a former employee that reflects personal beliefs and opinions. These views are not representative of Abilities Plus and are inconsistent with our mission, values, and commitment to serving individuals with dignity, respect, and inclusion.
Following an internal review, the organization has taken appropriate action and the employee is no longer employed by Abilities Plus.
We want to be clear that Abilities Plus does not support or endorse the content shared. Our organization remains committed to creating a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all individuals we serve, their families, and our community partners.
“The Mission of Abilities Plus is to promote opportunities that result in independence and active decision making for people with disabilities and their families.””