CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Laura was 15 years old and having a mental health crisis. She had been sexually assaulted by her father. She was angry; she was suicidal. She lashed out at her mother, and the outburst turned into what police called a domestic assault. Both Laura and her mother, Nancy (their real names are not being used to protect Laura’s privacy) were arrested and booked into Montgomery County Jail.
Within days, Nancy’s name was published on the local website Clarksville Today. Nancy was embarrassed, with friends calling and co-workers asking questions. But what haunts the family to this day is that 15-year-old Laura’s name was also published.
“It was humiliating to my daughter,” Nancy said. “People at her school found out and were bullying her, on top of what she was already going through mentally. … She would come home crying afterwards.”
Who’s running Clarksville Today social sites?
Normally, in a situation such as this, Nancy would be able to contact the site owner with a take-down request, which the media organization would consider depending on a variety of factors, including the severity of the crime, whether the charge was dismissed and expunged, and whether the person charged was a public figure…