Springfield, Ohio, found itself at the center of a bizarre national controversy fueled by a viral Facebook post: the claim that Haitian immigrants were eating local pets. This unfounded rumor, amplified across social media and even reaching the presidential debate stage, originated from a local resident, Erika Lee, whose attempt to share a neighbor’s concern about a missing cat spiraled into an unforeseen maelstrom of misinformation and fear.
Erika Lee, a Springfield resident, expressed shock and regret in an interview with NBC News, stating, “It just exploded into something I didn’t mean to happen.” Her initial Facebook post, referencing a neighbor’s speculation that her missing cat might have been targeted by Haitian immigrants, was based on hearsay and lacked any factual basis. The neighbor, Kimberly Newton, later clarified to Newsguard, a media watchdog, that the information was secondhand, coming from “an acquaintance of a friend,” and that Lee’s post had misrepresented the situation. Newton herself could not be reached for direct comment.
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Newsguard’s investigation revealed that Lee’s post was among the first to ignite the rumor online, quickly gaining traction through screenshots shared across various platforms. Despite Lee deleting her original post, the damage was done. The rumor mill churned relentlessly, incorporating unrelated and misleading content to bolster the false narrative. For instance, a photo of a man with a dead goose, taken in Columbus, Ohio, was falsely presented online as evidence of the Springfield claims. Similarly, a disturbing video of animal cruelty, unrelated to Springfield or the Haitian community and originating from Canton, Ohio, was also falsely linked to the allegations.
Local authorities and Springfield city officials have consistently refuted these claims, emphasizing the complete absence of any evidence supporting pet-eating incidents. However, these official denials have been unable to quell the spread of misinformation. The false narrative gained national momentum, even infiltrating the political sphere when former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator JD Vance, both with ties to the region, repeated the baseless allegations.
Lee vehemently denied any racist intent behind her post, stating, “I’m not a racist.” She tearfully explained her personal background as mixed race, a member of the LGBTQ community, and the parent of a biracial daughter, emphasizing that the ensuing accusations of racism were a mischaracterization of her actions.
The repercussions of the escalating anti-immigrant sentiment in Springfield were severe, leading to the closure of schools and municipal buildings on Thursday and Friday due to bomb threats directed at city officials. Lee, now fearing for her family’s safety, kept her daughter home from school and expressed deep concern for the Haitian community, stating, “If I was in the Haitians’ position, I’d be terrified, too, worried that somebody’s going to come after me.”
Immigrant advocacy groups have highlighted the dangerous nature of such unfounded rumors. Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of America’s Voice, a pro-immigration reform nonprofit, underscored the fear and insecurity felt by the Haitian-American community in Springfield and nationwide. She described the pet-eating claim as a “powerful and old racist trope” that “puts a target on people’s backs,” particularly amplified in the current political climate where such rhetoric can incite violence.
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Lee acknowledged that Springfield faces genuine challenges related to a recent population increase, which has strained housing, healthcare, and social services. The city was reportedly unprepared for the influx of new residents, many of whom are Haitian immigrants with protected legal status. However, she stressed that these real issues were distinct from and should not be conflated with the false and harmful rumor that ignited the national controversy. Her initial Facebook post, intended for a local audience, inadvertently became the spark for a national firestorm of misinformation and anti-immigrant sentiment, demonstrating the rapid and damaging impact of online rumors in the contemporary media landscape.
