Moms for Liberty Indian River chair says outlet published doxing attempt and ‘false’ claims

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. – Moms for Liberty Indian River County Chapter Chair Jennifer Pippin said the Illinois Reporter website attempted to dox her and made “false claims.”

The website claimed she is spouting “white supremacist views,” which the chair told Florida’s Voice is “absolutely false.”

The article, which was posted Oct. 11, said Pippin is being called the “‘crazy school attacker’ due to her relentless multiple year attack on the local Vero Beach Schools, filing police reports against the libraries, and disrupting School Board Meetings to spout White Supremacy views.”

“It’s absolutely false. I’ve never made any comment like that and I would never make any comment like that. It’s absolutely disgusting and completely false,” Pippin told Florida’s Voice.

Moms for Liberty is an organization known for advocating for policy changes at local school boards, including efforts to remove books believed to be inappropriate. Pippin has lead the charge to challenge explicit books found in Indian River School District.

Pippin tells Florida’s Voice she has been contacted multiple times via phone and email after the outlet shared “misinformation.”

Pippin said she reached out to the outlet both via email and on Facebook on Oct. 12 in order to have a dialogue to get the article removed.

She told the outlet she would give them 24 hours to remove the article and issue an apology, or legal action would be taken.

A statement from the Jeff Groot with the Illinois Reporter said, in part, they “do not remove or edit articles without documentation supplied to the editor for correction, nor do we negotiate with press extortionists.”

The outlet said the manager, Bonnie Kurowski, informed Pippin of the policy to send corrections or retractions but she “failed to do this.”

Florida’s Voice, however, obtained a copy of an email Pippin sent to the outlet on Oct. 12 outlining a list of false claims.

“I’ve never disrupted any school board meeting for “white supremacy views” or ever for that matter. I speak at citizen input. [..] I have never threatened or intimidated anyone ever. I always took my grievances to the school board meetings,” Pippin said, in part.

The lengthy email included multiple quotes and examples of “misinformation.”

The outlet did not make changes to the article.

The outlet told Florida’s Voice they videos of Pippin “stating at board meetings ‘We do not need more black laws, we have enough.'”

Florida’s Voice asked for a video of that comment, which Pippin said did not occur. The outlet’s manager said she forwarded the request to the editor but no video was ever provided.

Pippin said she believes people spread misinformation and attempt to “smear their character” so they would “quit advocating or quit going to school board meetings or meeting with legislators.”

Pippin has previously spoken out at public comment at school board meetings advocating for parental rights and children in education. She led an effort to challenge books with sexual content that were found at schools within the district.

A new Florida law forced the Indian River School Board to remove a number of books after the board stopped parents from reading sexually explicit passages during a board meeting in August. Pippin spearheaded the effort.

Florida’s Voice asked the outlet for comment and pointed out the article had Pippin’s alleged address, phone number and email address.

The article, however, listed the wrong address, Pippin confirmed. The address listed is a three bedroom, two bathroom home in Vero Beach. The article also listed a phone number to the Moms for Liberty Chapter, which Pippin said people have used to contact her with following the article’s release.

Pippin said doxing is “absolutely despicable.”

“Just because you don’t agree with somebody doesn’t mean that you can write things about them, or put personal information out there. She also mentioned my two high school children,” Pippin said.

The outlet told Florida’s Voice addresses are “public domain” and “if it is incorrect, its not doxxing nor could she have gotten threats.”

The article has since been shared by an account with over a million followers.

Doxxing is defined as to “publicly identify or publish private information about (someone) especially as a form of punishment or revenge.”

On Oct. 12, the outlet published another article about a Moms for Liberty chairman in Pennsylvania and posted her supposed address and contact information.

Pippin said she believes the outlet is trying to “gain publicity” because “Mom’s for Liberty has been so effective in advocating for new laws and changes.”

Pippin said they advocate for parental rights and children in education and try to make public education better.

Previously, Leon County Schools announced in July that they removed five books containing sexually explicit material after members of Leon’s Moms for Liberty chapter made the request.

In June, former President Donald Trump spoke at the Moms for Liberty Summit praising the group’s efforts to “rescue our country from the sinister forces who hate it.”

“You have proven beyond all doubt that there is no earthly force more powerful than the love of a mother for her children that’s true,” Trump said.