Fletcher's political views often put him at odds with other campus organizations during much of his tenure, and he was sometimes accused of administrative bias against left-wing groups. In early 2000, he supported a decision by student council to freeze university funding for The Manitoban, a campus newspaper with a left-leaning editorial board. He argued that the issue at stake was one of financial accountability, although his opponents suggested he was trying to infringe on the paper's autonomy.David Roberts, "Students fight for paper's autonomy", Globe and Mail, 25 March 1990, A11. Funding was restored when the newspaper staff agreed to accept an Ombudsman Board."U. Manitoba paper keeps editorial autonomy", UWIRE, 4 April 2000.
