Threats of death, rape and other violence targeted members of the Tyrone Township board after a viral social media clip raised questions about rumored data center plans that officials insist don’t exist.
The clip from a meeting July 7 was shared by journalism nonprofit More Perfect Union. The video showed resident Jannette Ropeta, wife of trustee Chris Ropeta, asking whether members had signed non-disclosure agreements with tech companies seeking to build data centers in the area.
Chris Ropeta and Trustee Dean Haas responded they hadn’t signed NDAs. There was no answer from other board members, who have long maintained that public comment isn’t meant to be a back-and-forth with officials.
In the time since the clip was posted, Tyrone Township has clarified that no board member has signed an NDA and that no data center proposal has been submitted. The municipality, in fact, adopted a data center moratorium in December with the intention of drafting an ordinance that protects local interests.
The clip from More Perfect Union doesn’t disclose that Jannette Ropeta is the wife of Chris Ropeta, nor that no data center has been proposed in Tyrone Township. It also omitted a history of alleged harassment toward board members and township staff by Jannette Ropeta, who promoted the clip on her personal account on Facebook.
Ropeta also posted a video of environmental activist Erin Brockovich discussing bipartisan opposition to data centers and referencing the clip from Tyrone Township.
According to screenshots included in the meeting packet July 21, trustees have received threats of death, rape and other violence since the clip’s posting. During the meeting, Ropeta said the threats weren’t her fault and again threatened to sue Tyrone Township during an argument with Treasurer Jennifer Eden.
— Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@livingstondaily.com.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Livingston County officials face death threats after viral data center clip
Reporting by Tess Ware, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tess Ware, Livingston Daily | USA TODAY Network
