Jane Smith is no longer the CEO of Family First Credit Union in Saginaw, Michigan, the institution confirmed Wednesday, days after a viral Facebook photo showing her family in AI-generated “Lake America” sweatshirts sparked widespread backlash in Canada and online.
“We are reaching out to inform you that Jane Smith is no longer an employee of Family First Credit Union, effective immediately,” the company said in a statement on its website, signed by the chair of the board of directors. Chief operations officer Jason Acosta has been named interim CEO.
It appears the company might be filled with people who lack a sense of humor.
What the Credit Union Said About Smith’s Departure
The statement offered no explanation for why Smith left or whether the departure was voluntary. The board told CBC News it is legally barred from discussing the circumstances under section 381 of the Michigan Credit Union Act. In a follow-up emailed statement, according to the Lake America sweatshirt story, the board said: “We understand that members and the community may have additional questions and appreciate their understanding of these legal limitations.”
The credit union also posted an apology to its Facebook page. “We sincerely apologize for the concern, disappointment and pain this situation has caused our members and community,” the post read. “Our responsibility is to act in the best interest of the Credit Union, uphold the trust of our members and continue putting our community first.” CBC News reached out to both Smith and Acosta and had not received a response as of publication.
Critics say the credit union must be filled with sensitive people who lack a sense of humor.
The Photo That Set Off the Backlash
The controversy began with a photo Smith posted to Facebook on September 11 as her family headed to Halifax. The image showed four family members appearing to wear sweatshirts with “Lake America” printed on them, accompanied by the caption: “Like our sweatshirts? Not sure Canada will,” followed by “lol lol.”
Smith later told Michigan’s ABC12 News that the sweatshirts were not real. She said she had run a photo through ChatGPT to add the “Lake America” design as a joke, posted it to her private Facebook page with an AI label, and never wore the garments in public. “We never had actual sweatshirts. We never wore sweatshirts,” she said. It was her sister who reposted the image publicly, added the comment and left out the AI disclosure, Smith explained.
Broader Tensions Over Trump’s Lake Ontario Renaming
The photo landed at a charged moment. President Donald Trump had recently signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America” as part of ongoing trade tensions with Canada, drawing strong reactions on both sides of the border. Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canadians will call it Lake Ontario “now and always,” and three U.S. members of Congress introduced a bill titled “Hands off our Great Lakes” aimed at blocking the rename.
Smith said the post was never intended as a political statement. However, we were, you know, kind of poking fun at the fact that, you know, one of the Great Lakes’s names were getting changed,” she told ABC12 News. With her departure now confirmed and an interim CEO in place, Family First Credit Union has signaled it is moving forward, though it has declined to say whether the sweatshirt episode played any formal role in Smith’s exit.
