09/26/2024
A letter from the IVTA President:
Dear Ms. Lump and Armbruster, and the IVTA Community,
I hope this message finds you well.
I am writing on behalf of the Indiana Veterinary Technician Association (IVTA) to address the recent Facebook discussion involving Maggie Lump.
I want to begin by sincerely apologizing for the unprofessional manner in which the IVTA was represented in the interaction.
I assure you that the comments made do not reflect the feelings or values of the IVTA Board. Like many of you, we are upset and deeply concerned about how this situation unfolded. Sierra, you are correct; the response to Maggie was inappropriate and has unfortunately cast our association in a negative light—something we do not wish to be associated with.
Since the incident, the board has taken immediate steps to address this issue. We have drafted a social media standard that the board will be voting on shortly to ensure such misrepresentation does not happen again. Additionally, the individual responsible for the post has been removed from our social media access, and I have requested that the individual who made the responses come forward to clarify the situation, relieving the board of this unnecessary conflict.
To maintain transparency, we have decided to make all previously hidden comments on the post public. We believe this openness is critical in rebuilding trust and reinforcing our commitment to integrity within our organization.
We remain committed to fostering a positive, professional community within the IVTA. We deeply regret that this situation has deviated from our core values, and we are taking active steps to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support as we work through this matter and strive to better represent our association.
Warm regards,
Crystal Schaeffer, MVCC, RVTg
President, Indiana Veterinary Technician Association (IVTA)