His bill to curb hatred on the Internet must be voted definitively this Wednesday in the Assembly, but it is another fight that is about to wage Laetitia Avia. MP LREM from Paris is pinned by the online media Mediapart . In an article, some of his former assistants accused him of racism, humiliation and harassment. Five ex-collaborators, for overwhelming testimony. They explain having been subjected to humiliation on a daily basis and reveal "a gap between the values that the elected representative defends publicly and what they found by working with him. The member for her part announced that she would file a defamation complaint , speaking of "false accusations" and "manipulation".
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She is accused of making racist and homophobic remarks
His former assistants put forward in particular the situation of an employee of Asian origin, "scapegoat" of the deputy according to them. One confides: "She sometimes called him 'the Chinese' or used racist stereotypes to talk about him". Mediapart publishes exchanges on Telegram messaging. Laetitia Avia writes in particular "You are a false Chinese, you do not master Mac [computers]".
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Another accusation, inappropriate outings on homosexuals. In April 2018, just after having voted in amendment in favor of LGBT refugees, the member wrote an SMS to her assistants: "We voted in favor of the PDs."
Laetitia Avia defends itself on this point on Twitter. "This is the expression used by my ex-collab, himself homosexual, to designate this amendment which I supported".
Its former employees also report harassment and constant solicitations, including weekends. "I am a demanding member of Parliament towards my collaborators, because they are well paid. As soon as I have money left on my envelope, I pay them bonuses. I value their work", replied Laetitia Avia to the online media . "None have ever complained of harassment. Almost all of them asked me after their departure, to ask me for advice, recommendations, or simply to give me their news - far from the false table depicted by the Médiapart article. "she said again.
A defamation complaint "in the coming days"
The elected Parisian denounces "bits of private messages, truncated, diverted and decontextualized". His lawyer says he will file a defamation complaint "in the coming days". "I have never been racist or homophobic. On the contrary, my political course has no raison d'être as the fight against racism and all discrimination", she defends herself on Twitter evoking "bits of private messages (...) truncated, diverted and decontextualized ".
"It is shameful manipulation, animated by a single objective: to harm me and to undermine my political fight", also denounces the elected official by justifying himself on one of the examples mentioned by Médiapart.