With the Alaska Abuser List, a whisper network goes public

The sun sets over the Chilkat Range on Oct. 7, 2016 near Haines, Alaska. (Rashah McChesney/KTOO)

An anonymous, crowdsourced document known as the Alaska Abuser List is circulating on social media, accusing anyone named on it of abuse ranging from domestic violence to sexual assault.

By Saturday morning there were 342 names on the list, including a police officer and the owner of an Anchorage restaurant. The list doesn’t include detailed allegations against each person or evidence to back up specific claims of abuse.

Several people named on the list appear to have lengthy Courtview records.

It’s not clear yet who created the list. At least four Twitter accounts are being used to collect names. Messages sent to two Twitter accounts involved in curating it have not been returned, and a third who shared the list hasn’t responded either.

The list’s creators wrote that they weren’t compiling the list to encourage violence against the people on it but to bring “accountability for their actions and safety for everyone.” 

A similar spreadsheet, called the “Sh**ty Media Men” list, gained national attention when it was published during the height of the #MeToo movement in 2017. The controversial list documented allegations of abusive behavior from men in the media and publishing worlds.

That list was intended to be anonymous. At least one person on it filed a defamation lawsuit after the list’s creator revealed her identity.  

Editor’s note: We removed a direct link and a tweet that had a link to the list from this story. 

Rashah McChesney

Daily News Editor

I help the newsroom establish daily news priorities and do hands-on editing to ensure a steady stream of breaking and enterprise news for a local and regional audience.

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