Jul 17
Slur-Filled eMail Spawns Lawsuit
Online gossip columnist Perez Hilton is being sued by an Ohio woman for $25 million after he published a slur-filled email she sent him, and the suit stands as a reminder to what ought to be basic common sense.
Apparently, Hilton received an email from his “victim” that contained anti-gay slurs, and attacked both Hilton and actress Angelina Jolie. Hilton, whose website lists a privacy policy that states he will not release private information of users who post comments on his site, then published the email in its entirety…including the woman’s email address. Unfortunately, the woman used her work email, so her employer, a senior living center, was also identified.
Hilton’s fans then ran amok, sending hate mail to the emailer and her employer, and the emailer quickly found herself terminated.
There’s an old saying that you should never send anything in an email that you wouldn’t mind being published in a newspaper. And most places of business have very clear policies about the use of company computers and internet time.
It would never even occur to me to send such an email from my work email address. I can’t believe that others wouldn’t think twice about doing so.
What do you think: should she collect?
July 18th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Let’s see, this mondo bitchola sends an email filled with offensive slurs from her workplace computer. Fire her ass. Oh, they did. Of course, Perez Hilton could have saved himself a lawsuit by just sending a copy of her email back to her employer. But that wouldn’t have been a grand enough gesture for Mr. Over The Top. No, he had to push the envelope. Hope he’s got a good lawyer.
July 19th, 2008 at 9:33 am
I don’t understand why people seem to think that things like letters and emails should bear any expectation of privacy. One you click ’send’ you release your words into someone else’s possession. Expecting those words to be kept secret is like lending someone a shirt on condition that they never wear it.
July 20th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Hi Patrick
Nah… someone with that much hatred probably hoped that her nasty email would be made public so she COULD sue. Nastiness knows no boundaries. I am not the brightest bunny in the forest, and I know that once you hit the send button, it’s up to the recipient to act next. It’s not that complicated. Poor lost mean spirited woman.
July 22nd, 2008 at 5:54 pm
There’s an old saying: What comes around, goes around. I think this email went around, and around, and around, and came back to bite her in the ass. She got what she put out. No, she shouldn’t collect.