Hello Supporters.
Today we were contacted by change.org and advised that someone had lodged a complaint of defamation about the commentary on this petition. The complaint reads:
Hi there,
We're writing to let you know that we received a claim alleging that content in your petition is defamatory.
We’ve reached out to the claimant for more detail, but in the meantime, please provide substantiation of the following statements that may be considered defamatory to the individuals referenced in the petition:
Referring to the council as "dysfunctional" under the Mayor's leadership.
Stating that the Mayor and CEO led the organization into a "significant decline in community satisfaction."
Indicating that their results are "some of the worst results in the state" and a historical low for their specific council.
Change.org is an open platform and we care deeply about free speech and empowering our users to create the change they want to see. However, when you use Change.org, you agree to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines, and this includes agreeing not to defame others. This means you cannot make untrue statements about another person or organization which harm their reputation.
In order to allow us to continue hosting your petition, please provide proof or substantiation of the above allegedly defamatory statements within 3 business days of this communication.
Please note that we are not able to accept statements such as “I know the petition to be true” as proof or substantiation of your petition.
We are also not in a position to determine whether your petition is indeed defamatory. If we are unable to validate the claims made in your petition within the next 3 days, we may remove your petition or the content included in it.
We also want to make sure you are aware of the claim and give you the opportunity to amend or remove the petition. If you choose to maintain your petition on our platform in its current form, you may be exposing yourself to legal liability.
Thank you for using Change.org, and let us know if you have any questions.
WE WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED AS THIS MATTER UNFOLDS.......WE HAVE PROVIDED COPIOUS EVIDENCE OF OUR CLAIMS........ :)