Investigation continues after 2 offensive posts made by LCSO Facebook account

Reporter: Gail Levy Writer: Jack Lowenstein
Published:
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Credit: WINK News.

Lee County Sheriff’s Office has gained negative attention after two inappropriate posts were recently made someone using its official Facebook account.

LCSO continues its investigation Thursday to learn who used its Facebook account to post vulgar and offensive responses to comments women made on its official page.

When we spoke to a sheriff’s office spokesman, he told us these incidents have him very upset. We did not receive further response when we asked why.

Kathy Burgess is also upset. She says she was the target of a response made by the LCSO account that used the poop emoji.

“It really made me mad,” Burgess said.

Burgess said she’s the second woman on this Facebook thread who had inappropriate comments directed at her by the LCSO account. The other woman, Amanda Canington, was sent the eggplant emoji, commonly used to refer to male genitalia.

“I mean seriously? This is coming from our sheriff’s department,” Burgess said. “And you’re threatening me with that type of statement. I thought this was a professional website that anyone can make a comment.”

While the sheriff’s office’s original post remains, someone deleted the offense posts. That is a problem, said attorney Pamella Seay, a professor of justice studies at FGCU.

“Because that is an official page,” Seay said. “And because it was done from that official account, that offensive remark is what the sheriff’s office is responsible for.”

In fact, President Donald Trump tried to block people from his Twitter account, and an appeals court ruled that it violated our First Amendment rights.

“You are not permitted to delete, to remove, to block or otherwise change what happens in that public forum,” Seay said.

The sheriff’s office spokesman said a number of people have access to its official Facebook page, and he told us he might have more information on the investigation Friday.

Burgess is a frequent critic of the sheriff.

“I’m just really upset that it’s allowed to be put on Facebook,” Burgess said.

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