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January 28, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) – A New York-based literacy agency fired one of their literary agents upon learning the agent joined social media Twitter alternatives Parler and Gab. 

The fired agent, Colleen Oefelein, confirmed Monday that she was fired from her job at The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency, and said it was due to the fact she identifies as a Christian conservative. 

“Well thanks Twitter and @JDLitAgency. I just got fired because I’m a Christian and a conservative,” wrote Oefelein on her Twitter page Monday. 

On November 11, Oefelein tweeted that she had joined Parler, saying, “I’m now also posting on Parler. It’s a great platform with no censorship! Giving away a few critiques there next week. Come find me.” 

In early January, Oefelein mentioned in a tweet that she might be on Gab as well. 

The ordeal began after YA Whispers, an anonymous Twitter account that claims to expose agents in the literary world who appear to violate one’s contact, tagged the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency’s Twitter account to Oefelein’s Parler tweet. 

In a now-removed tweet, which was screen-grabbed, Ya Whispers tweeted that Oefelein had joined the “alt-right” social media channels Parler and Gab. 

“Does @JDLitAgency know or care that one of their agents frequents alt-right social media like Parler and Gab?” YA Whispers tweeted. 

This prompted Literary Agency president Jennifer De Chiara to reply on Twitter the same day that her agency had learned of Oefelein using Parler and Gab, and had terminated her. 

“Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I have taken swift action, and as of this morning, January 25, Colleen Oefelein is no longer an agent at this agency,” De Chiara wrote in a now protected tweet.

“The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency was distressed to discover this morning, January 25th, that one of our agents has been using the social media platforms Gab and Parler. We do not condone this activity, and we apologize to anyone who has been affected or offended by this.” 

De Chiara made no mention of any specific posts from Oefelein’s Parler or Gab accounts in her tweets. 

Of note is that Parler was taken offline on January 10, meaning it is unlikely De Chiara would have seen anything posted by Oefelein’s Parler that could have been offensive.