MONTREAL — After reaching out to B’nai Brith Canada, which brought the matter to light earlier this week, Montreal Alouettes’ star defensive lineman Khalif Mitchell has apologized for posting a link to a video that denies the Holocaust, as well as other offensive content on his Twitter account.
“I wholeheartedly apologize to all those who I know I let down by posting these videos, especially everyone who looked up to me as a professional athlete,” Mitchell said in a May 15 joint press release issued along with B’nai Brith and the Canadian Football League Players Association (CFLPA).
“During the long heart to heart conversation I had with [B’nai Brith CEO] Michael [Mostyn], I tried to explain my honest desire to learn the truth. I fell into a trap by watching that video, and I hope that others can learn from my very public mistake – this is a learning moment for me.”
He added: “I truly do not understand the Holocaust and how a modern society could commit such evil. This is why I have pledged to work with the experts at B’nai Brith Canada over the course of the next year to educate myself about this and other human rights matters. I am committing myself today to show the world who the real Khalif Mitchell is and be a positive role model for young football fans.”
On May 14, Mitchell was fined by both the CFL and the team for posting the material after a complaint from B’nai Brith. The team also issued an apology. The club said it fined Mitchell the maximum amount allowable under CFL rules for violating the team’s social media policy. The amounts of both fines were not disclosed.
B’nai Brith said Mostyn had an in-depth discussion with Mitchell about why he posted the offensive material. The talk followed a series of conversations between Mostyn, the team, the league and the CFLPA.
“Having had an honest and open conversation with Khalif about everything that has transpired… I have come to see that he is a very genuine individual who truly did not comprehend the deceptive nature of this vile video,” Mostyn said.
CFLPA president Scott Flory said his group hopes “people will accept [Mitchell’s] apology” and that the CFLPA has agreed with Mitchell’s request that the fine levied by the league be donated to a charity of his choice.
Image from Khalif Mitchell’s Twitter account
The Alouettes “unequivocally denounce[d] the regrettable” postings made by Mitchell, which included a retweet on May 6 of a YouTube video, a “documentary” called The Greatest Lie Ever Told – The Holocaust.
The retweet was still visible on his feed on May 14, but appeared to have been removed by May 15.
Also among Mitchell’s recent entries were a cartoon drawing an equivalency between ISIS and Mossad and another graphic indicating ISIS stands for “Israel’s Secret Intelligence Service.”
“His postings are disappointing and in no way reflect the opinions and values of the Montreal Alouettes football club,” stated president and CEO Mark Weightman. “His postings were completely unacceptable and the Alouettes apologize to anyone who was offended by them.”
New CFL commissioner Jeffrey Orridge also condemned the postings.
“There is absolutely no place in our league for commentary used to divide or disparage others along the lines of sex, race, religion or sexual orientation,” Orridge said. “While we acknowledge that players have a right to hold and express their own opinions, in no circumstance do we condone activity or comments that are derogatory or inappropriate, putting the league’s reputation in question, and we feel Mr. Mitchell’s recent behaviour on social media has violated these principles.”
Mitchell, a defensive tackle who signed a three-year contract with the club in February, posts as @TruthWillFree96. He has more than 2,000 followers.
In comments to the National Post, Mitchell said, "I believe the Holocaust happened. I believe that people died in the Holocaust. I believe that the Holocaust is an example of pure hatred, in its purest sense, on this earth that we even know of, and that we should look into it and examine it for its authenticity, to understand how much hate could have been amassed on one people."
He said curiosity led him to the 77-minute online video, which claims the number of Jews murdered in the camps is too high to be credible, among other doubts about the magnitude of the Shoah.
On May 14, B’nai Brith issued a statement denouncing Mitchell’s postings under the heading “Football All-Star Promotes Holocaust Denial” after it had not received any response to its letters a few days earlier to Alouettes general manager Jim Popp or Orridge.
B’nai Brith spokesperson Sam Eskenasi said Mitchell’s Twitter feed has been replete with “bizarre and weird” postings. There have also been “outlandish conspiracy theories [and] comparisons of police officers to the Ku Klux Klan,” he said.
“As an all-star and role model for Canadian youth, Mr. Mitchell should not be sending out divisive and hateful tweets under the banner of the Montreal Alouettes organization,” Mostyn said May 14. “Mr. Mitchell has a history of posting wacky and offensive tweets.”
In 2012, when Mitchell was playing for the B.C. Lions, the CFL fined Mitchell an undisclosed amount for using a derogatory term for Chinese people in a tweet.
The 30-year-old Virginia Beach, Va., native has also played for the Toronto Argonauts.
Mitchell told the Montreal Gazette in February when he signed with the Alouettes, in reference to the 2012 tweet and other misbehaviour: “I’m not who I was, I’m who I am. I’m a man now. When I was done doing those things [I was] a child. I was coming up at 23, 24, 25, having no male influence. Growing up, living life and being raised around women… making a couple of mistakes based on my illegitimate knowledge of how society claims political correctness. Based on where I’m from. I think I’ve done pretty well.”
B’nai Brith faulted the Alouettes for not being more vigilant about Mitchell’s social media activity, given his past.
“While understanding that we cannot judge the stream of consciousness of individuals who share offbeat Internet postings,” Mostyn said, “these repugnant tweets are shameful not just to Mr. Mitchell, but the entire Alouettes organization which he represents by displaying its logo and proudly donning its jersey on his Twitter account.”