A TikTok personality countersued U of I professor after killings. Here’s what judge said
An Idaho judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed by a TikToker against a University of Idaho professor and the faculty member’s legal counsel.
Magistrate Judge Raymond Patricco on Tuesday dismissed with prejudice a lawsuit filed by Ashley Guillard, a social media personality from Texas who accused Rebecca Scofield of being involved in last November’s killing of four U of I students in Moscow.
In his decision, Patricco also quashed Guillard’s attempt to summons Scofield’s lawyers — Wendy Olson, Elijah Watkins and Cory Carone — but denied the professor’s request to be awarded attorney fees.
During an hourlong hearing on July 21, Guillard stood by her countersuit against Scofield, who still has a defamation lawsuit against the TikToker pending. Scofield filed that suit last December after Guillard persisted in saying online that the professor was involved with the fatal stabbings.
Police arrested Bryan Kohberger, a 28-year-old former graduate student at Washington State University, in the student homicides. Kohberger has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder. His next court hearing is set for Aug. 18, and his trial is scheduled for early October.
Police in Moscow issued a press release in December announcing that Scofield was not a suspect in the deaths of Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, both 21; and Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, both 20.
At the hearing, Olson argued that the many claims made in TikToks against Scofield lacked plausible facts. The judge agreed in his ruling, saying Guillard’s many assertions were “arguably so outrageous as to be clearly baseless.”
In court documents, Olson said Guillard has been exploiting the tragedy in Moscow for personal gain online. Olson said Guillard has made hundreds of TikTok videos about her “investigation” of the killings.
“This is not a case where facts are missing. … This is a case where facts do not exist at all,” Olson said of Guillard’s countersuit.
Olson argued that Guillard’s accusations against the professor were based solely on “spiritual research,” not concrete evidence.
Guillard claimed that the First Amendment protects her practice of spiritual research and said a ruling against her would mean the court is opposing her First Amendment rights.
Olson argued that religion cannot be used as a shield to cover up illegal activities, and cited the TikTok claims made by Guillard as evidence.
“If you wanted to do animal sacrifice, well fine, but you can’t go sacrifice your neighbor’s dog,” Olson said.
This story was originally published August 8, 2023 at 5:30 PM.
