Monday, June 3, 2002

Suit Unmasks Louisiana Professor and Shuts Down His Controversial Web Site By DAN CARNEVALE A professor who anonymously ran a Web site that criticized administrators at the University of Louisiana at Monroe revealed his identity last week, and the site was shut down, after a vice president of the university sued the Internet company that hosted the site. John L. Scott, an associate professor of economics at the university, disclosed that he has operated the Truth at ULM Web site, which discusses news and rumors about the university. Richard L. Baxter, vice president for external affairs at the university, had previously sued in both federal and Louisiana courts to have the Web site's proprietor named; those proceedings are still pending. In April, he sued Homestead Technologies of Menlo Park, Calif., the site's Internet provider, in the Federal District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. The suit seeks $75,000 in damages, alleging that the company took no action against the site even though, according to the lawsuit, it had defamed him and others. Under his contract with Homestead, Mr. Scott was obligated to protect the Internet company from financial harm, so the suit essentially forced him to choose between paying Homestead's legal costs or closing the site. Mr. Scott took the latter route. He told the university's president, James E. Cofer Sr., about his role in the site on May 22 and then went public on Thursday. Although Mr. Scott took a number of precautions to hide his identity, he had figured it wouldn't stay a secret forever. "I thought it was a very real possibility that the identification would come out," he said Friday. The Web site had posted articles critical of university administrators, including its previous president, Lawson L. Swearingen Jr., who resigned in September. Mr. Baxter, the university's vice president of external affairs, was referred to at one point on the Web site as "the vice president of excremental affairs." Joshua Weinberg, director of communications for Homestead Technologies, said the company had an agreement with Mr. Scott that if the company were ever sued because of the Web site, Mr. Scott would have to accept full financial responsibility. After the company was sued, Homestead Technologies officials asked Mr. Scott whether he wanted to reveal his identity instead of paying its costs in the lawsuit. "He was required to protect us financially," Mr. Weinberg said. "We chose to give him another option." But Mr. Scott said the company asked for $75,000, which he said was hardly an option he could afford. Mr. Baxter said uncovering the identity of the Web-site operator was not meant to leave the professor vulnerable for personal attack. "I never had a concern about who the person was," he said. "It's about being libeled or not being libeled." Mr. Baxter's lawsuit was filed against up to six anonymous Web-site operators. Mr. Scott would not reveal whether he was working with anyone else, except to say, "I had sources." Mr. Scott said he doesn't expect to lose his job over the ordeal. "I've been given reassurances by the president," he said. Mr. Cofer, the president, would not comment about the situation. Instead, he released a brief written statement saying open discourse should not be conducted anonymously. But Mr. Scott said he doesn't feel the need to criticize university administrators anymore. Calling the current administration "a breath of fresh air," he said the people who run the university now don't keep secrets from the faculty members. "There's no need for a Truth at ULM Web site with these guys," Mr. Scott said. Background articles from The Chronicle: University's Vice President Files Second Suit Against Controversial Web Site (5/17/2002) Judge Stays Order Telling Web Company to Reveal Name of Anonymous Louisiana Professor (3/1/2002) Court Orders Company to Name Professor Behind Anonymous Web Site (11/9/2001) Anonymous Web Site Posts Rumors, Grievances, and Leaked Documents (12/1/2000) Easy-to-print version E-mail this article

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