Teacher targeted by Libs of TikTok sent death threats and lost his job: ‘I was accused of grooming’
English teacher Tyler Wrynn said he received death threats after he was targeted by Libs of TikTok. (Twitter/ libsoftiktok)
A teacher targeted by the anti-LGBT+ Libs of TikTok Twitter account, whose creator says she has been “doxxed”, said he was sent death threats and lost his job.
This week, Chaya Raichik was exposed as the person behind the account, which posts “liberal” social media content to invite pile-ons from right-wing conservatives.
On Tuesday (19 April), Washington Post columnist Taylor Lorenz published an exposé about the account and its significant impact on right-wing media and politics, also naming Raichik.
Since then, through tweets from the Libs of TikTok account and anonymous appearances on Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight, Raichik has claimed to have been “doxxed” by Lorenz.
On Tuesday, Libs of TikTok tweeted: “They think doxxing me is going to intimidate me into silence. I can assure you, that’s never going to happen.”
https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1516574577836576785
Doxxing is the practice of revealing private, personal information about someone, usually online.
However, all of the information identifying Raichik as the creator of Libs of TikTok seems to have been publicly available, including tweets that show the Libs of TikTok account, under a previous Twitter handle, claiming to have attended the 6 January Capitol insurrection.
https://twitter.com/rocco_castoro/status/1516104991433363460?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1516104991433363460%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinknews.co.uk%2F2022%2F04%2F19%2Flibs-of-tiktok-anti-lgbt-social-media-capitol-insurrection%2F
wait all of this fuzz about the libs of TikTok account is about the name of someone who is literally the name on the libsoftiktok/.us ICANN entries & an LLC by the same name?
it's really not doxxing when it's registered under your name everywhere
— void angel 𒌓 (@egregirls) April 20, 2022
While conservatives rush to defend Raichik, echoing her claims of “doxxing”, Libs of TikTok itself prompted real-world consequences for its targets, who are often LGBT+ people or teachers.
One former English teacher, Tyler Wrynn, told Lorenz for her piece that he had been harassed, sent death threats and eventually fired after one of his TikToks about supporting LGBT+ kids was posted by Raichik.
Libs of TikTok claimed that Wrynn was “let go after complaints of grooming”.
https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1513613753866104837?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1513613753866104837%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lifesitenews.com%2Fnews%2Fleftist-teacher-in-oklahoma-reportedly-fired-after-profanity-laced-tiktok-videos-im-your-parents-now%2F
One of the teachers targeted by Libs of TikTok—and subsequently sent death threats by the account's followers—was Oklahoma teacher Tyler Wrynn.
He then lost his job.
The video he was targeted over was just telling LGBTQ kids rejected by their parents that they're loved. pic.twitter.com/Ng4rG5ZHie— Kendall Brown (@kendallybrown) April 19, 2022
As journalist Ernie Piper pointed out: “Libs of TikTok creates targets in a violent culture war against LGBTQ people, some of whom have already been harassed out of their jobs.
“When Taylor Lorenz’s critics make this conversation about doxxing, they’re failing to apply the same standard to Raichik.”
libsoftiktok creates targets in a violent culture war against lgbtq people, some of whom have already been harassed out of their jobs. When @TaylorLorenz's critics make this conversation about doxxing, they're failing to apply the same standard to Raichik. https://t.co/oFcqXInV0g— Ernie P (@whoisernie) April 19, 2022
Statement from @cameronbarr re: reporting from @TaylorLorenz pic.twitter.com/RsGw950t78— Kristine Coratti Kelly (@kriscoratti) April 19, 2022
Lorenz’s editor at The Washington Post, Cameron Barr, released a statement in response to accusations of doxxing against the journalist.
Barr said: “Taylor Lorenz is an accomplished and diligent journalist whose reporting methods comport entirely with The Washington Post’s professional standards.
“Chaya Raichik, in her management of the Libs of TikTok account and in media interviews, has had significant impact on public discourse and her identity had become public knowledge on social media. We did not publish or link to any details about her personal life.”
