- A College of Idaho professor sued a TikToker over a defamation declare.
- Ashley Guillard accused the professor of being concerned within the killing of 4 college college students, the lawsuit says.
- The lawsuit calls for a trial by jury.
A College of Idaho professor filed a federal lawsuit towards a TikToker, alleging defamation over an accusation that she ordered the unsolved killing of 4 college college students, courtroom paperwork present.
The lawsuit claims that Ashley Guillard, who runs the TikTok account @ashleyisinthebookoflife, “determined to make use of the neighborhood’s ache for her on-line self-promotion” after 4 College of Idaho college students have been killed in November.
The four students were found stabbed to death of their beds at a house close to the college campus in Moscow, Idaho, police say. Police initially said they believed the killings to be a “focused assault,” however later admitted that they’re unsure if the assault was “focused.” Idaho police have insisted that the case will not be chilly, however a police expert instructed Insider he’s “involved” that police haven’t solved the case but.
The lawsuit claims that Guillard, a purported internet sleuth, posted “many movies on TikTok falsely stating that Plaintiff Rebecca Scofield participated within the murders as a result of she was romantically concerned with one of many victims.”
Scofield is a historical past professor on the college and has taught on the College of Idaho since January 2016, based on the lawsuit.
“Professor Scofield didn’t take part within the murders, and she or he had by no means met any of the victims, not to mention entered a romantic relationship with them,” the authorized criticism says.
The lawsuit says that Scofield was not in Idaho on the time of the killings and that she was in Portland, Oregon, greater than 5 hours away, spending time with mates on the time of the killings.
“Not one of the 4 college students who have been murdered ever took a category from Professor Scofield,” the lawsuit says. “Though the College of Idaho is a comparatively small college, she doesn’t recall ever assembly any one in every of these college students.”
Scofield additionally has by no means met Ashley Guillard, based on the lawsuit.
Guillard’s TikTok movies have been seen “tens of millions” of instances and amplified her TikTok account “on the expense of Professor Scofield’s repute,” the lawsuit says. Guillard’s TikTok account has greater than 100,000 followers on the time of writing.
“Ashley Guillard promotes herself on Amazon and TikTok as an Web sleuth that solves high-profile unsolved murders by consulting Tarot playing cards, and performing different readings, to acquire details about the murders,” the lawsuit says.
Guillard stated in a press release to Insider that she expects to win the lawsuit and stood by her claims that she believed Scofield was concerned within the crime.
“I’ll single-handedly win the defamation lawsuit towards Rebecca Scofield and her group of extremely expert and skilled attorneys,” Guillard stated within the assertion.
The lawsuit asks for a jury trial in addition to compensatory and punitive damages “of an quantity to be proved at trial.
