The Chetek Alert had 6 letters to the editor slamming me this week. It is more than I can take. I’m seriously considering resigning and we’ll just move to Rice Lake and try to make a new start. I may look into suing for defamation of character, because a large percentage of what was written was lies and can easily be proved so. But I just don’t think I can even continue to live here after all that has been printed about me. Even before this, I didn’t like to be out in the open or in crowds here, because I don’t know what total strangers think about me. But when the same lies are written by multiple people, the public is bound to believe them. There really isn’t anything I can do about it, either. I’ve written my one letter to the editor, which was in last week, but this week’s letters pretty much nullify any good that letter might have done. I just don’t understand why a paper will print lies.
Tim and I agree: you should contact a lawyer and see if legal action can be taken (aka suing). I just tried to log on to read the articles and I can’t without an online subscription. But just reading the first paragraph of each made my blood boil.
Tim found this: http://kellywarnerlaw.com/wisconsin-defamation-laws/
Thanks for the info. We are not suing people, although mighty tempted. I’m not sure suing corrects the damage done. Once those ideas are out there, they are in people’s consciousness and can’t be removed.
by “suing people” I meant the kind of people who sue. It is confusing in the sentence, I know.
I’m so sorry, Mom. That’s awful!
Wow! I can’t believe how hateful people can be. I would feel defeated too. I’m so sorry. Is there an unbiased third-party that you all could meet together with to figure this out? I think you are right that suing would not do anything to correct the damage. I’m not saying you shouldn’t sue them. That might be something you need to do, but I’m wondering if that is a long, expensive process and in the meantime you are living in a community is no closer to actually knowing the truth of the situation. We’ll be praying about this for you!
Thanks for your kind comments, Amy. Actually a couple of impartial people have formed a fact-finding group and are interviewing all the people on either side of the issue to try to come to some sort of resolution. They’ve also asked the newspaper to not print anything regarding this issue next week. By the following week, they should have some actual information (as opposed to opinions) to put in the paper. They met with me for an hour this morning and I left there feeling like I was listened to and understood. It also helped that they already seemed very frustrated with the few people on the other side that they have already interviewed. I can’t wait to hear their reaction after they’ve interviewed the instigator of the whole thing! There are those who describe her as “evil” in a spiritual sense, and I don’t disagree.
And, no, we aren’t planning to sue them. There are some things you can’t put a dollar amount on and your reputation in the community is one of those things. My plan is to just continue to be loving and fair and believe that God will eventually sort it all out. Not saying it is easy, though.
You are so right. It isn’t easy. Praying for a quick resolution and for the truth to win out. It is heart breaking to think that you wouldn’t feel comfortable in a town where you have served and lived for so long.