Social Media Case of Cyber Bullying and Harassment: Frenchtown, Montana

Over the past year, we have seen a number of social media related cases end the career of firefighters. However, this case out of Frenchtown Rural Fire Department in Montana is different from the others we have seen.

In Frenchtown, Fire Chief John Bibler is accused of using two fictitious Facebook identities to threaten a female firefighter. In fact he is alleged to have threatened to kill her, her dog and her children. What tied him to the Facebook account? He had asked a deputy chief to set up the fictitious accounts for him!

The victim, volunteer firefighter Jenny Ross, went to court to obtain a protective order against the chief. Judge Karen Orzech denied the request concluding that the threats were not credible enough to warrant a restraining order, but that they did occur. Judge Orzech referred to Bibler’s actions as being “plainly stupid” and in the nature of a sixth grade bully. 

The chief, who has been on administrative leave over the incident, resigned last week.

Here is more on the story.