COASTAL OBSERVER

A Waccamaw High teacher received threats and harassment after articles published by an online news site in Myrtle Beach claimed she made “controversial posts” following the killing of Charlie Kirk last month. Her husband was hospitalized for three days for an anxiety attack.

Ree Lawson said in a lawsuit filed last week in Circuit Court against myrtlebeachsc.com and its publisher, David Hucks, the articles were false. She is seeking actual and punitive damages for libel and slander.

Kirk, a conservative activist, was shot and killed at an event on a college campus in Utah on Sept. 10.  On Sept. 16, Hucks published an article under the heading “Mic drop, controversial comments made by Ree Hanson Lawson, Waccamaw High English teacher.” It called her “yet another teacher making controversial posts about the death of Christian Charlie Kirk.”

The article cited a “concerned citizen” who said Lawson “made deeply disturbing comments on Facebook posts applauding the assassination of Charlie Kirk.”

It was accompanied by an image of a Facebook post that read “Gods don’t kill people. People with gods kill people.” Lawson replied with an image of a mic drop, signifying she was impressed by the post.

Hucks wrote that “a post of a mic drop from the Waccamaw High School teacher in the thread following news of Kirk’s assassination was placed on social media.”

But the original post was dated June 9, 2024, the suit notes.

“Unless Plaintiff is clairvoyant or psychic, she could not possibly have posted comments related in any way to Kirk’s death more than a year before it occurred,” according to the suit.

Lawson, who is represented by Bill Hopkins, “never made, posted or published any comment in any way celebrating or applauding the murder of Charlie Kirk and this statement was false and defamatory,” according to the court filing.

The article included a collage of Facebook pages including a comment by Lawson that “I actually think you are eligible for the lifetime achievement award for my favorite Facebooker” under a post that says “Charlie Kirk bravely offers himself as tribute to the 2nd Amendment.”

Hucks said this week that he has not seen the suit, but that he stood by the reporting.

“We copied her words and her statements,” he said. “We look forward to our day in court.”

Hucks published a follow-up article on Sept. 17 under the heading “South Carolina Superintendent of Education responds to Waccamaw High School teacher’s Facebook post on Kirk.”

It claimed that Superintendent Ellen Weaver “responded to” Lawson’s post.

Attached to the article is a memorandum that Weaver sent to district superintendents about educators posting “disturbing” comments about Kirk’s killing. “I encourage you to investigate these reports,” Weaver told the district leaders.

“There is no evidence suggesting her memo was in direct response to Plaintiff’s comments (on other people’s posts),” according to the suit.  Lawson “never made or published any ‘posts,’ which are original content providing initial ideas, information, news, photos or links. Plaintiff only commented on others’ posts in a ‘thread.’”

The articles and related Facebook posts by Hucks were made with “a reckless disregard for the truth and with actual malice,” the suit claims.

In libel law, actual malice is the standard public figures must meet to prove defamation. It isn’t ill will, but means knowing a statement was false or publishing it with serious doubts about its truth.

Lawson has taught English at Waccamaw High for 16 of her 36 years as a teacher. She has also coached the school’s speech and debate team to 15 state championships. The suit notes that she has received commendations from the Sons of the American Revolution and the Optimists Club International for work with their oratorical contests.

The articles damaged her reputation among students, parents and community members  and “subjected her to negative scrutiny by her employer,” according to the court filing.

Lawson fears for her safety and said the stress of threats and harassment led to her husband’s hospitalization.

Hucks and his company “have a pattern, practice and history of writing and publishing libelous and defamatory articles about people,” according to the suit. “The only way to stop continued libel and slander by Defendants is an award of punitive damages which will deter such conduct in the future.”

The suit also seeks an injunction to remove the articles and related Facebook posts, a correction and a public apology.

The articles are still on the website, Hucks said.