Setting

A large, historically white town outside Boston, where demographic and economic shifts triggered a backlash and galvanized the local political establishment. 

Conflict

When an accomplished woman of color won a contentious town election, years of coordinated harassment followed online and offline. A citizen blog disparaged the winner, her supporters, the town’s immigrant community, the unhoused, and local rights activists. Anonymous detractors hijacked town Zoom meetings and went after critics on community Facebook groups. The perpetrators doxed their targets and vandalized property, hounding them at home as well as online.  

Outcomes

Ultimately, the vitriol succeeded – the official lost re-election to a candidate backed by entrenched political interests. Many of her supporters withdrew from public life, especially online.