UNCW students and New Hanover County leaders react to online doxxing after ‘Spirit Rock’ incident
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A few UNCW students have become the latest victims of a practice called “doxxing,” where someone publicly shares your personal information without your consent.
The information release came after an incident at UNCW on Tuesday morning over a painting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed on a college campus in Utah last week.
Several students painted over an image of Kirk that had been put on one of the university’s spirit rocks, with their personal information posted online on Wednesday.
UNCW senior Dylan Brockman said this incident highlights why some people strive to maintain their online privacy.
“There’s a fear that if you’re seen or your face is known, that people are going to come and harass you or get you fired from your job,” Brockman said. “And it’s the thing a lot of people, especially nowadays, live in fear of.”
New Hanover Republican Party Chairman John Hinnant said people need to be aware of their actions at all times.
“They had to see that people had their phones out,” Hinnant said. “And so in today’s era, you should just assume you’re on camera and you should assume it’s gonna go on the internet. And so you should behave in a way that would make your mother proud.”
An attorney with the New Hanover and Pender County District Attorney’s office said there is no doxxing statute in North Carolina, but doxxing can escalate to cyber-stalking, which does have a statute.
Cyber-stalking is the repeated abusing, annoying, terrifying, harassing, threatening, or embarrassing of any person using electronic communications.
Even students not involved with the spirit rock incident, like Christina Laieta, caught backlash for comments about it.
“Yesterday I saw a TikTok that was about this situation and I made a comment that was very unbiased from a non-political standpoint,” Laieta said. “And in response for that, I received threats saying, you know, kill yourself, die like Charlie did.”
A school spokesperson said students are asked not to paint any new artwork on the rock for at least 24 hours out of courtesy, but no policy requires it.
Jill Hopman, chair of the New Hanover County Democratic Party, said
“We condemn the doxxing of anyone, especially a college student exercising her First Amendment rights. Although she is not a member of the UNCW College Democrats, and we do not condone her decision to paint over the spirit rock within the 24-hour courtesy window, we reached out to her and her roommate today to offer support after she was publicly vilified online. In the current political climate, we urge everyone to pause, reflect, and consider the broader impact of their actions.”
UNCW sent a statement about the doxxing incidents, saying:
“Student safety is UNCW’s top priority. University Police, the Office of the Dean of Students, Environmental Health and Safety, and the entire Campus Safety team work together to protect the community. Students who feel unsafe are encouraged to seek support from UNCW Police, Dean of Students, Counseling Services, or other resources. Cyberstalking is a crime in North Carolina (14‑196.3), and students, staff, or faculty should immediately report such concerns to UNCW Police for assistance.
UNCW’s official social media accounts are managed by the Office of University Relations, which notifies University Police of potentially threatening or concerning comments.
The spirit rock is a longstanding free-expression platform where students have painted messages to celebrate milestones, promote events and share ideas. While students are encouraged to leave slogans, event notices, artwork or painting for 24 hours before repainting, no policy requires it.”
