Man sues chatroom pals: I was humiliated beyond what 'no man could endure'

*Sewer Bull* · 01-14-2006, 03:49 PM

I just had to post it:

http://www.courttv.com/news/2006/011..._suit_ctv.html

Mike Marlowe fully admits that he sometimes gave George Gillespie a hard time in that AOL chatroom.

But never in his wildest imagination did he expect to be sued in court for what he characterized as "razzing."

"We gave him crap," said Marlowe, a 33-year-old welder in Fayette, Ala. "I'm not going to deny it. I teased him and he teased me back. He gave it back better than he ever got it."

A generation ago, such petty personal beefs might have been settled with fists outside the corner bar, but now it's the Internet age — and Ohio resident George Gillespie instead filed a $25,000 lawsuit against two erstwhile cyber chums he met in the sprawling 900-room, mostly anonymous society that makes up AOL's chat universe.

Gillespie, 53, claims that Marlowe and Bob Charpentier, a 52-year-old Oregon resident, insulted him and harassed him in the AOL chatroom called "Romance — Older Men" to the point where it inflicted "severe emotional distress and physical injury that is of a nature no reasonable man could be expected to endure it."

The complaint, expected in court on Jan. 31 for a pretrial conference, also names AOL as a defendant for allowing the alleged harassment to take place.

Gillespie alleges that the duo intruded into his "private affairs." The complaint states that Marlowe actually drove from Alabama to Ohio to photograph the plaintiff's home, which he then posted on the Web. He also allegedly went to the courthouse in Medina to dig up personal dirt on Gillespie, which he then also disseminated over the Internet.

The case is not simply "someone conversing in a chatroom" but also involves "harassing someone in Ohio," which gives Ohio courts jurisdiction, according to Gillespie's lawyers.

"Had the defendants stayed in the chatrooms, there would be no jurisdiction here, case closed" Gillespie's attorney Theodore Lesiak stated in the complaint. "Defendant did not."

But Marlowe said he works 60 hours a week at an autobody shop and laughed at the notion that he would drive from Alabama to Ohio to take pictures of Gillespie's house.

"I have never been to Ohio and I have absolutely no desire to go to Ohio," Marlowe said. "There is nothing there — the Cincinnati Bengals are there, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame maybe, and that's about it."

Even if Marlowe did take a trip to Ohio, posting a picture of someone's house on the Internet does not violate privacy laws, according to Chris Hoofnagle, attorney with the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

"Those norms require the aggressor to engage in behavior that is highly offensive to a reasonable person," he said. "Taking a picture of somebody's house and putting it up on the Web is not that."

Hoofnagle said Gillespie's emotional distress claim will also be tough to prove.

"We live in a rough society, as compared to Europe, where offending someone or directly cursing or attacking their dignity can give you a cause of action," he said.

Power Struggle in 'Romance — Older Men'

Charpentier said he first encountered Gillespie more than five years ago and at first, the two chatters were friendly. But Charpentier says he quickly became disenchanted by what he saw as Gillespie's mean streak.

Things really turned ugly four years ago when Charpentier traveled to Kentucky to meet another chatroom regular, a woman who was also a friend of Gillespie's. The blind date did not go particularly well, and when Charpentier returned to he discovered that Gillespie had gone on the attack.

"He just came in slamming on me, saying all kinds of derogatory crap: that I was a fat, bald, broke old man who sits around in a rusted wheelchair," said Charpentier, who has a chronic back injury. "I don't even own a wheelchair."

Charpentier, who has filed a response seeking to reserve the right to file a $125,000 countersuit against Gillespie, said Gillespie threatened to kill him and "made sick and disgusting remarks about the passing of my grandmother."

"He is an AOL computer thug, that is all he is," Charpentier said.

Marlowe characterized the dispute as a petty power struggle. He said Gillespie was the de facto leader of the "Romance — Older Men" chatroom, and didn't like it when he and Charpentier challenged his authority.

But Marlowe said he never took the chatroom antics personally — until he was served with a lawsuit.

"I don't know how four years of bantering back and forth led to this insane nonsense," he said. "It's just the Internet, for God's sake. It's nothing important."

Michael Gordon, an attorney for AOL, declined to comment, saying, "This is just the beginning stages of this thing."

Megan Gray, a Washington D.C.-based intellectual property attorney who specializes in cyber issues, called it "a loser of a case." She said the Communications Decency Act gives AOL immunity from chatroom misconduct.

"AOL cannot be held liable for the actions of people on the site," she said.

She also suggested the case against Marlowe and Charpentier was doomed.

"The Internet is such a vibrant, young medium, these types of cases are not taken seriously," she said.

Sewer Bull's note: That's a jolly good news! I mean, I won't stay defenceless against Anarky's impudent threats anymore...

OA · 01-14-2006, 04:02 PM

Wow pretty rediculous....i guess in this day and age, you can sue for just about anything...

*Spitfire* · 01-14-2006, 04:23 PM

What a baby, he just wants money.

*Brodie* · 01-14-2006, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sewer Bull

Sewer Bull's note: That's a jolly good news! I mean, I won't stay defenceless against Anarky's impudent threats anymore...

Hahahahahahaha, Ah, man, You're my new hero.

*Raph's Girl* · 01-14-2006, 05:55 PM

Is this all cuz of the new law against annoying people online?

Dude...seriously get over it...I doubt they meant anything by whatever they said.

*damnhooligan* · 01-14-2006, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Article

Even if Marlowe did take a trip to Ohio, posting a picture of someone's house on the Internet does not violate privacy laws, according to Chris Hoofnagle, attorney with the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

This line makes my heart swell with pride. I've always figured, the best way to annoy someone online is to take pictures of their house. Bonus points if it's a Google Maps satellite image!

Did anyone else catch that this spat between the ol' boys has been going on for FOUR YEARS? It warms my heart to imagine a bunch of 50 year old men hanging out in an AOL romance chatroom, doing nothing but harassing each other. The ladies must have felt ever so neglected.

Fledermaus · 01-14-2006, 06:43 PM

And this is why you shouldn't post your personal info on the web.

~~BartAllen~~ · 01-14-2006, 06:46 PM

I hate it when people have keyboard courage. seriously. if you cant say somthing to someones face dont say it to them on the net.
the both of them are big babies though.

OA · 01-14-2006, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fledermaus

And this is why you shouldn't post your personal info on the web.

Exaclty my sentiments...

*zkarlette* · 01-14-2006, 08:06 PM

Im tired of hearing about people suing for nonsense honestly whats wrong with this world that people have become so dishonest or vengeful just for money

they should go volunteer somewhere instead of wasting time making people miserable

*Anarky* · 01-14-2006, 08:24 PM

You know, suing seems to be the new sort of duel. It's ridiculous, if you ask me. But then again, you're the ones with commercials on TV asking people if they couldn't come up with a reason to sue their neighbours. I mean, if you get the possibility of suing stuffed down your throat you're more likely to give it a shot. Over here, there has been but one case where a man sued because of some idiocy: He felt "psychically insulted" and "not taken care of his precious stuff" after the mail service lost his letter. He then sued the mail for about $200 million, went up to the highest court there is and got laughed at. And that ended this tragic story. But at least he got fame as this country's biggest idiot.

01-14-2006, 03:49 PM	#1
Sewer Bull Devil's Advocate Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 4,768	Man sues chatroom pals: I was humiliated beyond what 'no man could endure' I just had to post it: http://www.courttv.com/news/2006/011..._suit_ctv.html Mike Marlowe fully admits that he sometimes gave George Gillespie a hard time in that AOL chatroom. But never in his wildest imagination did he expect to be sued in court for what he characterized as "razzing." "We gave him crap," said Marlowe, a 33-year-old welder in Fayette, Ala. "I'm not going to deny it. I teased him and he teased me back. He gave it back better than he ever got it." A generation ago, such petty personal beefs might have been settled with fists outside the corner bar, but now it's the Internet age — and Ohio resident George Gillespie instead filed a $25,000 lawsuit against two erstwhile cyber chums he met in the sprawling 900-room, mostly anonymous society that makes up AOL's chat universe. Gillespie, 53, claims that Marlowe and Bob Charpentier, a 52-year-old Oregon resident, insulted him and harassed him in the AOL chatroom called "Romance — Older Men" to the point where it inflicted "severe emotional distress and physical injury that is of a nature no reasonable man could be expected to endure it." The complaint, expected in court on Jan. 31 for a pretrial conference, also names AOL as a defendant for allowing the alleged harassment to take place. Gillespie alleges that the duo intruded into his "private affairs." The complaint states that Marlowe actually drove from Alabama to Ohio to photograph the plaintiff's home, which he then posted on the Web. He also allegedly went to the courthouse in Medina to dig up personal dirt on Gillespie, which he then also disseminated over the Internet. The case is not simply "someone conversing in a chatroom" but also involves "harassing someone in Ohio," which gives Ohio courts jurisdiction, according to Gillespie's lawyers. "Had the defendants stayed in the chatrooms, there would be no jurisdiction here, case closed" Gillespie's attorney Theodore Lesiak stated in the complaint. "Defendant did not." But Marlowe said he works 60 hours a week at an autobody shop and laughed at the notion that he would drive from Alabama to Ohio to take pictures of Gillespie's house. "I have never been to Ohio and I have absolutely no desire to go to Ohio," Marlowe said. "There is nothing there — the Cincinnati Bengals are there, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame maybe, and that's about it." Even if Marlowe did take a trip to Ohio, posting a picture of someone's house on the Internet does not violate privacy laws, according to Chris Hoofnagle, attorney with the Electronic Privacy Information Center. "Those norms require the aggressor to engage in behavior that is highly offensive to a reasonable person," he said. "Taking a picture of somebody's house and putting it up on the Web is not that." Hoofnagle said Gillespie's emotional distress claim will also be tough to prove. "We live in a rough society, as compared to Europe, where offending someone or directly cursing or attacking their dignity can give you a cause of action," he said. Power Struggle in 'Romance — Older Men' Charpentier said he first encountered Gillespie more than five years ago and at first, the two chatters were friendly. But Charpentier says he quickly became disenchanted by what he saw as Gillespie's mean streak. Things really turned ugly four years ago when Charpentier traveled to Kentucky to meet another chatroom regular, a woman who was also a friend of Gillespie's. The blind date did not go particularly well, and when Charpentier returned to he discovered that Gillespie had gone on the attack. "He just came in slamming on me, saying all kinds of derogatory crap: that I was a fat, bald, broke old man who sits around in a rusted wheelchair," said Charpentier, who has a chronic back injury. "I don't even own a wheelchair." Charpentier, who has filed a response seeking to reserve the right to file a $125,000 countersuit against Gillespie, said Gillespie threatened to kill him and "made sick and disgusting remarks about the passing of my grandmother." "He is an AOL computer thug, that is all he is," Charpentier said. Marlowe characterized the dispute as a petty power struggle. He said Gillespie was the de facto leader of the "Romance — Older Men" chatroom, and didn't like it when he and Charpentier challenged his authority. But Marlowe said he never took the chatroom antics personally — until he was served with a lawsuit. "I don't know how four years of bantering back and forth led to this insane nonsense," he said. "It's just the Internet, for God's sake. It's nothing important." Michael Gordon, an attorney for AOL, declined to comment, saying, "This is just the beginning stages of this thing." Megan Gray, a Washington D.C.-based intellectual property attorney who specializes in cyber issues, called it "a loser of a case." She said the Communications Decency Act gives AOL immunity from chatroom misconduct. "AOL cannot be held liable for the actions of people on the site," she said. She also suggested the case against Marlowe and Charpentier was doomed. "The Internet is such a vibrant, young medium, these types of cases are not taken seriously," she said. Sewer Bull's note: That's a jolly good news! I mean, I won't stay defenceless against Anarky's impudent threats anymore... __________________ Soooo... THIS* is how you spend your free time now?!*

01-14-2006, 04:02 PM	#2
OA Scatter the nuns!! Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 3,981	Wow pretty rediculous....i guess in this day and age, you can sue for just about anything... __________________

01-14-2006, 04:23 PM	#3
Spitfire Writer • Director Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 12,035	What a baby, he just wants money. __________________ Check out my online portfolio http://www.christopherpelletier.com/

01-14-2006, 05:55 PM	#5
Raph's Girl Dierna Soul, Reporter Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Jakku Posts: 10,831	Is this all cuz of the new law against annoying people online? Dude...seriously get over it...I doubt they meant anything by whatever they said. __________________

01-14-2006, 06:43 PM	#7
Fledermaus Mad Scientist Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: SoCal Posts: 1,115	And this is why you shouldn't post your personal info on the web. __________________ We're calling it a freeway. Eight lanes of shimmering cement running from here to Pasadena. Smooth, safe, fast. Traffic jams will be a thing of the past. I see a place where people get on and off the freeway. On and off, off and on all day, all night! Soon there will be a string of gas stations, inexpensive motels, restaurants that serve rapidly prepared food! Tire salons, automobile dealerships and wonderful, wonderful billboards reaching as far as the eye can see! My God... It'll be beautiful.

01-14-2006, 06:46 PM	#8
~~BartAllen~~ Banned Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 922	I hate it when people have keyboard courage. seriously. if you cant say somthing to someones face dont say it to them on the net. the both of them are big babies though.

01-14-2006, 08:06 PM	#10
zkarlette Fashionably late Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: CA Posts: 4,146	Im tired of hearing about people suing for nonsense honestly whats wrong with this world that people have become so dishonest or vengeful just for money they should go volunteer somewhere instead of wasting time making people miserable __________________ "If only we'd stop trying to be happy, we could have a pretty good time" E.W

01-14-2006, 08:24 PM	#11
Anarky Outlaw Hero Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Tannhauser Gate Posts: 4,867	You know, suing seems to be the new sort of duel. It's ridiculous, if you ask me. But then again, you're the ones with commercials on TV asking people if they couldn't come up with a reason to sue their neighbours. I mean, if you get the possibility of suing stuffed down your throat you're more likely to give it a shot. Over here, there has been but one case where a man sued because of some idiocy: He felt "psychically insulted" and "not taken care of his precious stuff" after the mail service lost his letter. He then sued the mail for about $200 million, went up to the highest court there is and got laughed at. And that ended this tragic story. But at least he got fame as this country's biggest idiot. __________________ Because it's... I dunno... brutal.