Legal Advice: Posting Hate Mail (sent to me) on a Public Website
 

For those of you who are lawyers and law students, I know there are ethical issues involving how and when you can provide advice, so I understand if you can't give me "official legal advice" but I would appreciate some guidance.

A member of my fraternity sent me a piece of hate mail. Clearly unwanted. Not as strongly worded as it could have been, but definitely an unwanted piece of mail that was meant to criticize my work, belittle my sexual orientation, and question my membership in the fraternity.

I posted the email, along with his name and email address in my blog.

He is now threatening legal action.

What is your opinion on the legality of posting hate mail on a public website?

That's ashame! If he sent you hate mail then I think it is up to you to do whatever you want with it. I know a guy who runs a website named Maddox and he always posts his hate mail up on his website. I think because if people sent it to him and its his personal website then its cool. Same way when people send fan mail. Anyway, I am not a lawyer but i thinks its wrong for what you are going through. Stay up bruh!:o

Is he objecting more to his name and email being there, or because you put the letter up and he thinks it should be private?

Either way, if he didn't want you to have that info, he shouldn't volunteer it. I sent an email to a conservative paper that I didn't think they would publish at ALL, but they did. You can now find it if you google me. I can't complain that my name's affiliated with this - I sent the email to them, with my name and email address as they required.

His complaint is that his name and email address are on my site.

I agree with your rationale.

The sad thing is that other than his homophobia, he has a lot going for him.

(I'm hotter, though.)




Colorful: Thanks for the support. :)

I'm pretty sure you don't actually know Maddox...

Anyway, once he sent that email to you, it became your property to do what you want with it. Perhaps he will think twice before sending such inflammatory, hateful letters in the future.
Besides, the lawsuit would be a civil case and I truly wonder whether he has the money or time to go through all that to get you to take down an email.

I'm pretty sure this isn't the legal standard.

Regardless of whether something is your property, you're not given completely free reign to do with it what you will.

I would consider checking on the applicable defamation and right-to-privacy laws governing your area - past that, I'm not sure what 'legal action' he would be entitled to, but obviously IANAL.

When will folks get over you? Good grief. Folks are welcome to disagree or hate you if they have that much time on their hands--but they need to leave you the hell alone.

I'm sure he does have a lot going for him other than his homophobia--that's all the more reason for him to get over you. LOL @ you being hotter.

I wouldn't think it would fall under defamation unless the guy claims he didn't send it. Right to Privacy is iffy when you send something to someone else...

IA(also)NAL though... where are they anyway, studying or working or something?

I actually suggest taking his name and email out despite the legality of it all. My friend who knows "internet law stuff" is unavailable right now. So I'd say above the legality of it all, make your life easier by removing identifiers.

Are you trying to embarass him or teach him a lesson? Are you trying to get him to receive hate mail (and congratulatory mail from folks who agree with him)?

Figure out what your motives are and go from there. You can highlight ignorance without identifying the ignorant.

Bearing in mind that this is outside my area and this is not intended as legal advice [disclaimer, disclaimer, disclaimer], I would agree, if nothing else than for the sake of making your life easier.

I'd maybe leave his first name in there, but leave it at that.

BTW, what's the link for your blog, Senusret?

I would threaten a counter-suit-- he initiated the harrassment. Get the local GLBT lobbying group involved to send him a letter.

LOL...Um actually I do.:p :D And by know him I mean I've met him and had a conversation with him and I continue to converse with him. In my opinion that states as knowing someone. (don't assume)

Is it really that big a deal? You've made your point. It's going to be cheaper at this point to just be the bigger man and take down the guy's private information than it is to leave it up.

It's probably not worth defending yourself from legal action about (even if that action is frivolous and ultimately unsuccessful).

I disagree with this -- by taking down the letter, he's giving in to some asshole's threatening behavior. Sometimes, it's worth it to fight the good fight and not let the assholes control you.

V -- you're definitely right. To him, it might be worth ponying up the money to fight this asshole. If it were me, I probably would just let bygones be bygones. There are always going to be assholes out there. Facing the choice of either hiring a lawyer to put this asshole in his place or buying a new plasma TV, I'm going for choice B.

That's just me.. and that's not legal advice, that's practical advice. If I can do something to avoid a lawsuit and not cost myself a dime, I'm doing it.

Unless this man has unlimited financial resources, what are the chances of him pursuing legal action against you really? I like the suggestion a few posts up of taking the @email part out of the message, but leaving the rest. If he didn't want his opinion out there then he shouldn't have sent you the message.

Rashid, I went to your blog and read the email.

I agree with the others -- unless he has lots of money, I doubt he'll take legal action just to hide the fact that he's an asshole. The email itself wasn't even THAT bad, and it could have been worse. Shit, I've read worse things on GC.

I say keep the name but maybe lose/edit the email address. That way, if anyone Googles his name, they'll still know that he's an asshole.

You gotta pick your battles. I'm one of those people inclined to never "give in". Sometimes this is called stubborn. Sometimes it's called pride. Sometimes it's called obnoxious. In this case, though, I think it's a worthy cause. People would automatically say he's got it coming to him for writing a threatening letter if the discussion were about race or religion. Personally I think sexual orientation is just as personal and just as "untouchable". Just ask yourself what this will do in your organization, because I bet it'll end up involving the other guys, and maybe even "sides". I know in a "girl fight" it's best to be the bigger man and not talk about it, so that the entire sorority doesn't get involved. But guys are different. You know your brothers...take that into consideration.

I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know what to do from that standpoint. I bet, though, even if he were really willing to waste his money, drag his own name through the mud by drawing even more attention to the letter, and possibly cause problems within the fraternity, he'd lose the battle. Of course, you don't want to spend the money to defend yourself. Maybe countersue for the cost of court fees and add a little for mental anguish?;)
I would edit or Photoshop out his email address and last name, but leave the letter up.

I think this letter worth posting, not to give in. If he was truly threatening in the letter, then his threats need to discontinue. And if you have exhausted all other ways of dealing with him, and this is what's left, then so be it. If he continues to make noise and draw attention to the situation I assume (and hope) that most people will not only not agree with him, but will express disdain for his behavior.

My momma always said NEVER write down something you might regret having said later...and if I was stupid enough to do so, then I would get what I deserved when someone who shouldn't see it stumbled upon it. And it's true...he shouldn't have written that.

If my name was Percy, I don't think I'd want it posted on the internet, either. :p

Maybe his parents were Percy Sledge fans?

Seriously 'Shid, it's one thing if you were the one making him look like the fool. He chose to use his full name in the email. He should have thought about that before he hit 'SEND'.

Hey everyone....

I really REALLY appreciate everyone's advice. It's a unique situation and everyone's opinions have helped me decide.....

That I need more opinions. LOL.

I will be consulting lawyers over the next few days. :)

Careful, we bite!

*puts on baby shark teeth*

Just go for it!

You have to get this staightened out or go looney tunes!

Many times putting fear into the heart will do the job.

Have you requested a restraining order? Your lawyer can and should be of help!

Do you know any local police officers to let ehm know what is going on. That too can be of help! I know I did if there was a problem with a dirt bag of someoine I knew!:)

Good LUCK!:)