By ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTER
A University of Wyoming student targeted by an anonymous Facebook posting that included a threat of sexual violence had posted the item herself, police said. The university in Laramie, Wyoming announced on Tuesday that campus police cited Meg Lanker-Simons for misdemeanor interference with a police investigation by giving false statements. The posting that threatened Lanker-Simons occurred on a Facebook forum for UW students, leading to an outcry and an investigation by UW police because it was directed at a student.
The Facebook page, which is not officially affiliated with the university, was taken down and a student-led demonstration against sexual violence was held. UW police say they found what they called 'substantial evidence' verifying that the post came from the computer belonging to Lanker-Simons. Lanker-Simons is a blogger and local radio show host who advocates for liberal causes. In 2010, she filed a lawsuit against the university that forced UW to allow 1960s radical Bill Ayers on the campus for a speech on education.
Ayers co-founded the Weather Underground, an anti-war group from the Vietnam Era that claimed to be responsible for a series of bombings, including nonfatal explosions at the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol. The Facebook post came to light last week when people including Pamela Kandt, co-convener of the Episcopal Women's Caucus and a Casper activist, complained to the university and demanded action. Besides the threat of sexual assault, the posting was written to make it appear as if its author was a conservative Republican. Kandt came to Lanker-Simons' defense Tuesday.
'I will tell you, I believe Meg is innocent of this outrage,' Kandt told the Laramie Boomerang, adding she believes the citation issued by police is a 'classic case of blaming the victim.' 'I mean, my God, who would do this to herself?' she added. Attorney Charles Pelkey, who is representing Lanker-Simons in the matter, declined to comment until he sees more details on the case.
