Anonymous email burns me

[simpleton33]

ILLINOIS

Below is an email that was sent to a coworker of mine at a local private high school. THe lady it was sent to is a religious nun. She is quite a pill at work and very difficult to work with. Here is the email that was sent to her work email address anonymously:

"Does they way you act in your profession represent your calling to the Lord? I don't think so. The way you conduct yourself, the way you talk about people truly does not represent your vows. STOP being such a crying baby and get over yourself! I am sure you will run to your bunk mate Diana and tell her all about this anonymous email - but you need to be
called. Your behavior is unacceptable and the best thing you can do now is head back to the mother house! You cannot change with times, all you can do is complain about the change. Then you say bad things about GOOD people when they do not go along with whatever vendetta you have against these people. I will continue to pray for you and hope you will be a better servant of the Lord.

FOTW"

THe email address was a hotmail address. Hotmail was contacted by the school technology coordinator and hotmail closed he account but would not release any info on the account stating they needed a court order since it was not a threatening email. The technology instructor then learned of the IP address from the email and contacted the internet provider. The internet provider said they needed police involovment before they could release info. The police were contacted and the officer said it was not a threatening email and could not do anything. The principal said all he had to do was to call the internet provider and announce he was a police officer and they would divulge the users data. The police officer complied and the internet provider gave my name and address to the police officer who in turn gave it to the principal.

The privacy info from Suddenlink communications state they would notify me anytime my data was released. They did not. They even tell me to this day they did not release the data. Now, the word got out from the technology coordinator that the email came from me. I did not write it!! THe receipient of the anonymous email is saying bad things to me and about me to all my co workers. It is making a very hard working environment.

What ae my options?? I want to sue someone, but who and for what? Please HELP!

 

[simpleton33]

If anyone knows a good lawyer for this.....let me know! Thanks.

 

[quincy]

The IP gave your name and address to the police officer after the technology coordinator learned the IP address from the email. Suddenlink released your data and they should have notified you that the data was released. And yet the email did not come from you??? Was it your Hotmail account that was closed, too?

Who wrote this email from your account? Any clues??

 

[simpleton33]

Internet provider did not notify me. THere has never been a court order of any kind. The officer even told the principal he was suprised they gave up the info. I have logmein.com installed on my computer...not sure if someone was able to log on that way. Was not my hotmail account. I did not write it, but the IP address traces back to me. It will behard to prove, and I do not know what to do but maybe sue the internet provider.

 

[quincy]

Well, I can tell you that the email implies that the recipient of the email is a lousy, lesbian nun, so that's the defamation part. I can see why the nun is ticked at you, since it appears the email was sent by you.

I cannot explain how your name and address got on someone else's Hotmail account, however, or why the IP address is yours. That information you should obtain from Hotmail and/or the IP. Perhaps the technology coordinator can help you sort it out?

Any idea what "FOTW" stands for?

If you want to sue the IP for releasing data to the police, I would first find out why they have your data linked to the IP address for the email in the first place. The person you would want to sue is the one who is sending anonymous emails traceable to you.

 

[simpleton33]

FOTW stands for "fly on the wall". Tha was the hotmail email account that was used....which in fact has never been traced to me as Hotmail will not release that information.

How can it be defamation if the email was sent from one person to another? The person that received the email is the one who posted it and forwarded it to everyone. How do I know the technology coordinator did not "plant" my IP address on it?

So I guess I have no recourse here.

 

[quincy]

The person who wrote the defamatory email is the one who is guilty of defamation, even if that person never intended for anyone but the nun to read it. Email is not a private form of communication, no matter how much everyone who sends a defamatory email seems to think and wish it were.

Why don't you have the same policeman who managed to get your name and address from the IP get the information from Hotmail, as well. That might give you additional information, to help you identify this FOTW.

I don't, honestly, know what other steps you can take. The IP released information to a police officer, so they are not guilty of anything. Hotmail closed the account and has not released any information, so they are not guilty of anything. Suddenlink communications says they did not release any information, so they are not guilty of anything. The only person you can sue is the one who somehow used your name and your IP address to send a defamatory email. So you need to find a way to identify this person and clear your name, otherwise the nun is going to continue to make your life miserable.