NBC News: US Woman Claims She Never Intended to Spread False Rumors About Haitians Eating Pets
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – The Springfield, Ohio woman behind an early Facebook post spreading false rumors about Haitian immigrants eating local pets says she has no concrete evidence of such incident, and that she is regretful and fearful about the damaging repercussions, according to NBC news.
Farah N. Louis“It just exploded into something I didn’t mean to happen,” Erika Lee told the network. “I’m not a racist. “Everybody seems to be turning it into that, and that was not my intent.
“I feel for the Haitian community,” added Lee, who has since removed the post. “If I was in the Haitians’ position, I’d be terrified, too, worried that somebody’s going to come after me because they think I’m hurting something that they love and that, again, that’s not what I was trying to do.”
NBC reported that Lee said she had posted on Facebook about a neighbor’s cat that went missing, and that the neighbor had told her that “she thought the cat was the victim of an attack by her Haitian neighbors.”
“I didn’t think it would ever get past Springfield,” Lee said.
On Friday, New York City Council Member Farah N. Louis strongly condemned the spread of false right-wing rhetoric, including by former US President Donald J. Trump and his Vice President running mate JD Vance, targeting Haitian migrants, and further escalating tensions and spreading misinformation.
The threats come amid bomb threats that have disrupted Springfield, Ohio schools.
On Friday, two elementary schools were evacuated and a middle school was closed in Springfield, Ohio, causing significant disruption to families and children.
“No community should have to endure this kind of terror, xenophobia and racism,” Louis, the daughter of Haitian and Bahamian immigrants, who represents the 45th Council District in Brooklyn, New York, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC). “I stand in solidarity with the people of Springfield, as they navigate this alarming incident.
“These threats, fueled by hateful, disparaging and baseless lies against the Haitian immigrant community, are a direct result of dangerous rhetoric that has no place in our society,” she added. “JD Vance and former President Donald Trump have both proven they prioritize their own interests and dirty politics over the well-being of this country, showing themselves to be a disgrace to our democracy.
“Their comments have incited fear and jeopardized innocent lives,” Louis continued. “If anyone is harmed due to their irresponsible and disgusting remarks, they must be held accountable. As a Haitian-American, it deeply saddens me to see such fear mongering leads to real consequences for innocent people.
“We must come together as a nation to reject hate and focus on unity, ensuring that no one is targeted or vilified based on falsehoods,” she said. “I call on all Americans to stand against this wave of divisive and dangerous rhetoric. Haitians endured such hostility in the past, and we cannot allow history to repeat itself. Our focus must be on healing and protecting our communities, not tearing them apart.”
On Wednesday, Caribbean-American legislators also strongly denounced what they described as an anti-immigrant disinformation campaign surrounding Haitian migrants.
“It’s truly sickening to see America’s most powerful prey on its most vulnerable through xenophobic, despicable disinformation,” Democratic Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, told CMC. “Though even acknowledging these heinous, anti-immigrant rumors is beneath our common decency, unfortunately, billionaires and extreme conservatives, aided by their allies in far-right media spaces, continue to give life to these dangerous, disproven lies,” Clarke said.
