LIVINGSTON COUNTY, Mich. – A Howell woman who took to Twitter to call out COVID misinformation at school board meetings will not be charged with cyberstalking.
COVID mandates were divisive and often people were at odds with each other.
The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office did investigate and was recommending charges.
Kasey Helton went to a Brighton Board of Education meeting last year to observe and took offense when two nurses said masks were ineffective. Health officials and researchers have found that masks are effective.
“They were both presenting themselves as nurses, in, you know, and when they were giving their presentation. That, to me, is what was over the line. So, that is why, you know, they did not have to do that. They did not. They could have said, you know, ‘speaking as parents,’ and if they would have said that I probably wouldn’t have done anything,” Helton said.
Helton posted the women’s names on social media and tagged their employers. The post prompted a complaint and a call from a Livingston County Sheriff’s Deputy.
“Then he informed me that I was going to be recommended for charges on this cyberstalking statute,” Helton said. “At that point, my thought was that I was trying to be silenced.”
Livingston County Sheriff Michael Murphy released a statement.
“I . . . Felt that when you start going after someone’s livelihood, that is crossing the line,” Murphy said. “I had no idea who the focus of this investigation was until Kasey Helton turned to social media, so to say this is politically motivated could not be further from the truth.”
Helton learned the prosecutor declined charges this week.
“Sheriff Murphy said that he wanted to use my case as a test of some kind to see how he could further prosecute first amendment issues. You know, I’m not a lab rat, for first amendment issues in the sheriff’s department. I’m a human being,” Helton said.
Livingston County Sheriff Michael Murphy declined to add anything to his statement.