NJ SPCA Bans 'Vulgar' Commenters From Facebook Page

By ERIC.KIEFER (Patch Staff)

Animal rights activists claim they’re just trying to bring justice to mistreated animals.

But to NJSPCA President Rick Yocum, they’re vulgar, obscene, overly rude and downright offensive.

They’re also banned from commenting on the NJSPCA Facebook page.

On Thursday, Yocum wrote that the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals would temporarily stop publishing case updates on its Facebook page because “the posts sometimes spiral out of control” and “result in too many misunderstandings.”

Yocum also wrote that “the list of people who are banned from this page is not long, but it will grow because enough is enough with the vulgar, obscene, overly rude and downright offensive posts.”

“I had hoped that by posting case updates here that it would add transparency to the animal cruelty investigation process,” Yocum stated. “If I post information here on a case that some do not like, they post that I am ‘incompetent, blind, stupid, lazy’… the list goes on.”

Yocum emphasized that his post wasn’t directed at any one group, but was a “general statement of policy change.”

“If all of the negative energy towards animal welfare agencies was harnessed and directed at the animal abusers we would all win, but that day is far, far away,” he concluded.

Yocum’s post inspired a flood of supportive comments.

“I’m an animal control officer in Connecticut and don’t handle anything close to what you do, but totally understand your frustration,” one commenter asserted. “People have no idea how frustrating the judicial system is and take it out on the officers. I have found that Facebook fosters negative reactions by well-intentioned people who don’t have all the facts.”

“Hopefully the hecklers will someday be silenced and clearer heads prevail,” another person wrote. “Thanks and keep up the good fight.”

BANNED COMMENTERS

But not everyone has been supportive of the ban.

A Facebook group named “Reform the East Orange Animal Shelter” lambasted the decision, charging that many of the people on the “banned list” are actively involved in animal rescue and are outspoken opponents of the NJSPCA.

The group posted a list of more than 100 Facebook profiles that have been banned from commenting on the NJSPCA page which can be seen here.

A frequent critic of the NJ SPCA, the group recently decried the agency’s treatment of accusations of animal cruelty at the East Orange Animal Shelter.

>> RELATED: No Animal Cruelty Charges For Essex County Shelter

“Just for the record, a government agency banning you from a Facebook page is against the law,” the group stated. “It’s called freedom of speech.”

However, several court rulings have set precedent that First Amendment protections are not so cut and dry when it comes to what you post on your Facebook page.

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