(Credit: Kia Abdullah, screenshot, highlight added)

A freelancer for The Guardian posted “two disparaging remarks” on Twitter about the death of three teenagers, The Guardian’s public editor, Chris Elliott wrote.

The freelancer, Kia Abdullah, called her comments “a profoundly misguided attempt at black humour” and commented that she “deeply regrets” them. She has also issued a public apology and a private apology to the family members.

The Guardian distanced itself from her tweets by noting she is only a freelancer and hasn’t written for The Guardian in more than a year. However, Abdullah was linked with The Guardian because her Twitter bio notes she “had written” for the newspaper.

The Guardian’s editor, Alan Rusbridger, commented on her tweets and labeled her comments “grossly insensitive” and noted The Guardian has “no control”and “no responsibility” for her comments.

As a result, Elliott questioned if The Guardian should call on its freelancers and contract employees to “not bring the paper into disrepute.”