RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Shop local Raleigh leader Jennifer Martin is apologizing after she received backlash following an anonymous online comment she made in a closed Facebook group in December.
Martin was responding to a parent who was seeking advice about their transgender child’s desire to play after-school sports.
She responded to the question, dismissing the existence of being transgender.
That post has since gone viral and an online petition garnered hundreds of signatures calling on Shop Local Raleigh to take immediate action.
Friday, Martin issued an apology on Facebook and Instagram.
It said in part quote: “I want to sincerely apologize for a comment that I made that caused real hurt and pain to some in our community”.
Martin went on to ask for forgiveness and said she hopes to move forward to continue to work with those in the community.
Signatures have been stacking up on an online petition as more than 1,100 people calling for Shop Local Raleigh Executive Director Jennifer Martin to apologize and be held accountable.
The page moderator outed Martin as the poster of the anonymous comment. ABC11 has continued to reach out to Martin but has not heard back.
Shop Local Raleigh is a membership organization that promotes small businesses and also hosts large events such as Brewagloo and the Raleigh Christmas Parade, for which ABC11 is a media partner.
The furor has also stirred debate about free speech and online privacy rights.
Amanda Martin is the Supervising Attorney for Duke University’s First Amendment Clinic. She said the Terms and Conditions may offer the moderator some legal protection.
“Someone who speaks anonymously does run the risk that they may not be able to maintain their anonymity,” said Martin. “Probably one in a million people, even lawyers, don’t necessarily read the agreement that they are making, but it’s, it still can be a binding agreement.”
The page moderator has retained an attorney — who has not issued a statement on his client’s behalf.
Adam Smith, a lawyer with Riddle and Riddle, said North Carolina does not have a set of laws protecting online privacy, and it’s something everyone should be aware of.
“A lot of states are currently struggling with that. Washington state and Oregon just passed a couple laws. Europe has a very vigorous set of laws about these things,” Smith said. “But North Carolina has not waded into that pool like some other states have. I think it’s a huge cautionary tale for all of us.”
The Shop Local Raleigh Board of Directors is looking into the incident and has said, in part, that the Facebook comment does not reflect the organization’s culture.
ABC11 is a media partner for the Raleigh Christmas Parade presented by Shop Local Raleigh.
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