Want to know what a true internet troll is capable of? Monika Glennon, realtor of 20 years, found out – and it got ugly. Three years and a lawsuit later, Monika recounts the story of a false accusation online, how it snowballed, and what she did to clear her name. Listen in to hear what can happen when Facebook comment threads get heated, and learn why seeing the human in each other is the biggest lesson of the day. 

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Time Stamped Show Notes

• 01:00 – Introducing Monika
• 01:15 – She’s been in real estate for almost 20 years; she has been in Huntsville, Alabama for 12 years and moved a lot because her husband was in the military
• 01:57 – Huntsville has the highest concentration of engineers and scientists; it’s not like any other city in the south, it’s high-tech
• 03:10 – Monika’s CSIRE story
• 03:27 – In 2015, when she and her husband returned from a trip, her broker called her at 6am and kept calling over and over
• 04:20 – When she finally picked up, her broker told her that someone had said something bad about her online; she thought it was her first bad review
• 04:50 – It was a story posted on their local ReMax Facebook; it was a story saying that Monika had had sexual relations with a client’s husband
• 05:40 – The story went on to say that the woman (the writer) got a divorce and she advised against using Monika as a realtor
• 06:20 – She filed a federal lawsuit in Alabama and it has taken two years to figure out who it was; it was a total stranger
• 07:05 – In 2014 she had posted something during a debate on Facebook that made the person unhappy and this was their retaliation
• 07:45 – She was a drug-addict with mental issues; she became obsessed with finding out everything about Monika
• 08:40 – Her boss, family, and friends were given the story by a young woman in California who thought she was being a vigilante
• 09:22 – She won her lawsuit this year and was awarded everything; for 3 years, it was tiring and the lady kept writing bad things
• 10:03 – She decided to meet with the lady; her husband was parked across the street with a loaded gun because the lady had charges of kidnapping and assault
• 11:00 – They talked for four hours; the lady talked about how to make meth and Monika realized she had mental health issues
• 12:45 – Her business is recovering and people know she’s honest; the other lady is in prison for 20 years for violating the terms of her kidnapping/assault  
• 13:30 – The original story they were debating about on Facebook was about the smiling teenager selfie at Auschwitz
• 13:50 – The lady who wrote the false story about Monika was of Jewish descent and threatened the life of the teenager; Monika defended the teenager
• 15:00 – No one is anonymous online; Monika learned that there’s always a way to find out who is
• 15:43 – Monika wants the laws to be changed so people can protect themselves more easily from situations like this
• 16:16 – The lady used her professional photo, which was copy written, so she could get into federal court, but not everyone can
• 17:10 – She has been fighting for the protection of people; there are cases of people being falsely accused online and being denied jobs because of it
• 18:00 – We can’t make assumptions about people based upon heresy online
• 18:58 – Monika feels sad for the woman; her life was very difficult and she was very sorry
• 20:48 – Advice for listeners
• 20:50 – Don’t believe everything you read; there are humans behind each word you read online
• 21:40 – Stay out of comment threads, trademark your photo, and confront when necessary to clear the air
• 22:05 – How to contact Monika: Facebook, by phone (256)665-8772, or by email [email protected]

3 Key Points

• A few words online can change someone’s life.
• We need to remember to see the human in each other.
• Stay out of heated comment threads, trademark your photo, and get out of your comfort zone to confront people when necessary.

Credits

• Audio Production by Chris Mottram
• Show Notes provided by Melissa Valder