An online gossip website found to be malicious and cruel after it reached college campuses is being investigated at the request of a Newark lawmaker.

Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, D-Newark called for the investigation of JuicyCampus.com, a website that enables students to write anonymous messages about whatever and whomever they wish. These messages may be about a fun party that a student had, or they may even go as far as to include hateful messages about a person.

JuicyCampus.com has not reached Sacramento State, said Kimberly Nava of Public Affairs, but it has gone as far as to reach UC Berkeley, and six southern California universities, including Long Beach State and University of Southern California.

Sac State students said they are generally unhappy with the website’s popularity.

Many students reflected on how the website could affect the campus community if it were to reach Sac State.

“I have heard of JuicyCampus.com and even been on that website actually,” said junior liberal arts major Stephanie Ramirez. “I am so glad it is not here because those hateful remarks that students say about each other, like so and so is a slut, are poison and it would totally put students against one another.”

The investigation of JuicyCampus.com is to assess whether the website violates the first amendment. It is being looked at for libel and slander. Operators of the website would be held accountable if the website is found in violation of the law.

The federal and state governments have the right to restrict any forms of pornography and obscenity. Some of the comments on the website include questionable material that Torrico wants the attorney general to look over.

Torrico said gossip websites should be abolished.

“In addition, I would welcome any suggestions for changes to state law that would prevent these sites from endangering the public,” Torrico said.

Some Sac State students said JuicyCampus.com is giving students a chance to voice their opinions, whether they are good or bad.

Other students, like sophomore business major Angel Castillo, said she thinks that the investigation can be seen as irrelevant when it comes to being investigated for slander and libel. It is just a student-run website with no specific importance, she said.

“If students want to write something about another person anonymously, then it shouldn’t be a problem. Everybody knows that gossip websites are a joke and they shouldn’t be taken seriously,” Castillo said.

Senior biology major Erin Smith agreed with Castillo, insisting that words that are spoken or written about a person do not define that person.

“I just don’t think that somebody calling you a ‘bad person’ on a website classifies you as a bad person – that is just one opinion. People should have better self esteem,” Smith said.

However, other students think that gossip websites damage a person’s name, even if the accusations are not true.

“(Website posting) may not be true, but when something is gossiped about, many people wonder if what they are hearing is true. More often than not it is true and the reputation of that person is totally ruined,” said sophomore sociology major Maddy Simpson.

Sophomore business major Garry Graffort of UC Berkeley said he thinks that people have too much time on their hands if they contribute to the website’s gossip.

“I personally don’t care about that website. But if somebody wrote something bad about me, I wouldn’t really care,” Graffort said. “All I know is that JuicyCampus.com makes college students feel like they are back in high school looking at dirty words on the bathroom wall.”

Sophomore mechanical engineering major Brett Butterfield of UC Berkeley disagreed with Graffort when it came to his reflection on what people write about him.

“If somebody wrote something bad about me, I would want to prove them wrong. However, people have the right to say what they want to say. It is called free speech,” Butterfield said.

Vice President for Information Resource and Technology Larry Gilbert said Sac State does not have a specific policy on media outlets that may be offensive to the school. If a gossip website did come to Sac State, Gilbert said that administrators on campus are here to help students get their voices heard and not to block what they have to say.

“I suspect the reaction would be that people have a right to speak their minds as long as they are not being slanderous or dangerous,” Gilbert said.

He said Sac State does not seek to block free speech.

“We are not in the business of regulating speech. We are concerned about misinformation that can be sent out, however,” Gilbert said.

This problem of “misinformation” was looked at when a website regarding the rating of Sac State professors on campus included racial slurs from anonymous students.

“We had to contact the website’s organizer and let them know that was not OK,” Gilbert said.

Torrico said he wants JuicyCampus.com to be investigated because it places a burden on students and their names. Students’ names could be slandered or reputations could be ruined, he said.

In a letter to Jerry Brown, attorney general, Torrico said that he is concerned for those people whose names may be damaged because of the website.

“I am concerned about dangerous campus gossip websites that may be spreading libelous information, propagating hate speech and endangering the safety of women on campuses across the state,” he said.

The attorney general has not gotten back to Torrico as of April 2, said Jeff Barbosa, Media Relations specialist of Torrico.

Vanessa Johnson can be reached at [email protected].