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\n\n\n\n\n\n\nby Craig Sailor (5-8-20)\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWashington residents who are concerned that non-essential businesses are violating Gov. Jay Inslee\u2019s order to shut down can now file an on-line complaint. The state said the \u201cvast majority\u201d of businesses are complying.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nSome people who reported suspected violations of Gov. Jay Inslee\u2019s stay-at-home proclamations are receiving death threats and harassment after their names and contact information were released by the state and made public on social media by people who obtained the information.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nNine spreadsheets containing thousands of names, phone numbers and email addresses were posted on Facebook pages Wednesday.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nOn Thursday, hundreds people listed on the documents received an email titled, \u201cLowlife scumbag whistleblower snitches,\u201d which singled out people who complained about businesses in the Sumner and Puyallup areas.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nThe email writer, who identified themselves as \u201cJulie Johnson,\u201d called the recipients derogatory names and pointed out nine people who made more than one complaint. The e-mailer did not immediately respond to an interview request from The News Tribune.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nTacoma resident Aram West received the email on Thursday. He had made a complaint about a Tacoma pawn shop that was open and operating in late March.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nWest thought his complaint would remain anonymous.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\u201cI would have assumed that a state website would have that under control,\u201d he said, referring to nondisclosure of identities.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nSince he made the complaint in March, emotions and the political climate around stay-at-home orders designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus have increased across the nation.<\/a>\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\u201cAt the time, people were also not as unhinged as they are now,\u201d West told The News Tribune. \u201cI didn\u2019t think people would get quite this extreme.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nOne of Facebook pages that posted the spreadsheets, Reopen Washington State,<\/a> promotes the termination of stay-at-home orders and demands the reopening of businesses.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\u201cHere you go Washingtonians: 25,000+ \u2018violations\u2019 your neighbors reported on you through the Governor\u2019s gestapo line, maintained by the state military department,\u201d stated the Reopen Washington State post that first displayed the spreadsheets.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nA message sent to the Reopen Washington State Facebook page was not immediately returned Friday afternoon.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nFollowing the disclosure on Wednesday, a King County woman received more than 30 death threats and other harassing messages, she said. In one phone message she forwarded to The News Tribune, a male caller identifies as an associate of the business she reported for being open.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\u201cYou got 48 hours to get the (expletive) out of Washington or I\u2019m coming for you,\u201d the caller states.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nThe King County woman, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of more harassment, doesn\u2019t believe the message was from the business. She said she was fairly high up on the list and thinks that\u2019s why she\u2019s been getting so many messages.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\u201cI\u2019m getting bombarded,\u201d she said Friday. \u201cIt\u2019s terrifying. It\u2019s really scary. It\u2019s causing me a lot of stress.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nIn another phone message, a female caller expresses hopes that the King County woman chokes on the virus.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\u201cSo glad it\u2019s public disclosure,\u201d the caller says.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nAn Arlington woman who reported an open massage parlor in late March said she was a recipient of emails about the spreadsheet releases beginning on Wednesday. One was from Julie Johnson.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nThe Arlington woman asked to remain anonymous for fear of further retribution.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nSeveral individuals made public disclosure requests for the violation information now being posted online, according to Chelsea Hodgson, a spokeswoman for the state\u2019s COVID-19 Response Joint Information Center.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nThe nine spreadsheets include headings like \u201cSocial distancing not followed,\u201d \u201clarge gatherings,\u201d \u201crestaurant violations\u201d and others. The spreadsheet that seems to have generated the vitriolic responses is titled \u201cNon-essential biz open.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nThe website page where citizens can report violations<\/a> has a clear statement on privacy.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\u201cAll of the information collected at this site is considered public information,\u201d the disclaimer states. \u201cAll of the information collected at this site is considered public information and may be subject to inspection and copying by members of the public, per RCW 42.56.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nThe Arlington resident said she didn\u2019t see a disclaimer when she filled out the form.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\u201cIt never occurred to me that the Governor\u2019s Office would be like, \u2018Yes, please tell us about these things and then we can tell everybody you put this out so they can go hunt you down,\u2019\u201d the woman said. \u201cThat would have required a more prominent disclaimer that said, \u2018By the way, if you give me your name and email and phone number, we\u2019re going to be able to give that out to anyone who wants it.\u2019 That was nowhere on the form.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nIt turns out there was no disclaimer in late March, according to research by The News Tribune. It was added in April and was not present on the form<\/a> as late as March 31, according to snapshots made by the waybackmachine internet archive.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nQuestions put to the state by The News Tribune about when the disclaimer appeared were not immediately answered.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\u201cThough the form indicates the information contained in the form is subject to public disclosure, additional steps have been taken to make clear on the complaint form that complaints are subject to public disclosure,\u201d Hodgson said Friday. \u201cIndividuals may also submit a complaint anonymously.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nThe Arlington woman said she was just trying to do the right thing when she reported the massage parlor. She figured her name and contact information would be redacted if anyone asked for it.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s kind of disappointing,\u201d she said. \u201cThey need to make an even bigger disclaimer that says, \u2018Your contact information is optional and understand that we will release it to anyone who asks for it.\u2019\u201d\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nThe King County woman, who lives on the east side of Lake Washington, said she\u2019ll never again report anything to the state.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\u201cThere\u2019s no way I would have filled that out had that been on there,\u201d she said, referring to the disclaimer. She filed her complaint on March 30.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\u201cI was trying to be a good citizen and be helpful and save lives, and this is the thanks I get for it,\u201d she said. \u201cI would never submit anything to the state again. I don\u2019t feel like my information was protected.\u201d\n\n\n\nGov. Jay Inslee\u2019s office did not respond to repeated requests for information on Friday.\n\n\n\n\n
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\n\nby Craig Sailor (5-8-20) Washington residents who are concerned that non-essential businesses are violating Gov. Jay Inslee\u2019s order to shut down can now file an on-line complaint. The state said the \u201cvast majority\u201d of businesses are complying. Some people who … Continue reading