On June 22 I wrote an editorial questioning the public behavior of an elected official. After refusing to sit down with me for an interview, Alderman at-large Joe Kelly Levasseur blocked me on all his social media accounts. I have been told that he shifted his attention to me, calling my publication the Stink Link, and making false statements about myself and my husband using his Facebook account.
That’s too bad, but not surprising to me.
However, I was surprised when, on June 25, Levasseur popped up on my Facebook messenger. I wasted more than an hour of my time trying to have a rational discussion with someone who appears to be irrational.
I wasn’t sure what to do with the conversation, but since he initiated it, and I’m a reporter, I felt like the best way to prove to constituents and voters that Levasseur has become a liability to the city, and is unfit for elected office, is to share the online exchange with you:
June 25, 2018, 3:46 p.m.
Joe Kelly Levasseur
Wait a second did you equate a sign that went up on my Facebook page about a politician breaking his promise and admitting publicly he did and apologized for in public to an eleven-year-old killing herself? Talk about a bully! Talk about making people hate someone force pressing an opinion. A new low for the anti trump haters like you. You should be ashamed of yourself and all because I wouldn’t go after Chief Willard for your husband. What a despicable thing to do.
Carol Robidoux
Joe you are so off base. We could have talked about all this. The analogy was that bullying has consequences. I hired an attorney because you said you didn’t want to bring another case against the city. We weren’t going after the chief, we were questioning the deployment of a SWAT team for a 61-year-old man who needed a mental health intervention. The Chief and I have talked it all out and we are fine. The case was settled. My husband wrote what he wrote because the situation has taken a toll on his magnanimous heart. You portray him as a cop hater without any knowledge of how difficult the entirety of the situation was. That is a lie, plain and simple, but you apparently don’t worry about your words in the public arena. You have wrongly labeled me a cop hater as well. Questioning the use of deadly force in a mental health case is not an unreasonable thing to do. You should be ashamed of yourself for continuing to post untruths, and disparaging who I am or what I do because you are personally mad at me. I included the tragic suicide because the family attributed it to bullying, and everyone wants to know why nobody intervened. I regard your public treatment of your colleagues as bullying and could no longer say nothing. You refused to talk with me. Maybe if you had I could have better understood your point of view. I tried to do my due diligence. You accused me of harassing you.
Joe Kelly Levasseur
I read your husbands op ed. At least I’ll tell you to your face your a two faced bully
You are two faced
Carol Robidoux
He was disappointed in how it all played out, and that he lost faith in the justice system, and the chief’s lack of response. He never said he hated the cops. Again, you are trying to create an issue that does not exist. He could have detailed the entire 2 years leading up to the incident but he wanted to spare our neighbor (who read the piece in advance) any more stress now that he is trying to get on with his life. What my husband did was brave … ill-advised by most people’s understanding, but in that moment he was willing to risk his own life to save his neighbor in crisis. You have characterized him as a cop hater and allowed your friends to call him names and belittle him for a situation they really know nothing about. Again, he was mainly trying to say we should revisit our procedures for deploying 22 officers to a neighborhood.
Joe Kelly Levasseur
You are off base and have no clue but you don’t give a damn
11 yr old kid
You are one sick person
Carol Robidoux
I hope that makes you feel better. If I were two-faced I’d talk about you behind your back like others do. I tried to talk to you but you declined.
Joe Kelly Levasseur
You have not heard the last of this
You liar
Carol Robidoux
Joe I think you need help.
Joe Kelly Levasseur
12 year old kid naked the same story with my name in it
Wtf carol
Carol Robidoux
What are you talking about?
Joe Kelly Levasseur
I have people calling me who are going nuts over your bs
Carol Robidoux
I have no idea what you’re talking about right now.
If you don’t see the correlation between the actions of bullies and the consequences then I can’t do anything to explain it … You don’t see yourself as a bully …
Joe Kelly Levasseur
Hahaaa
Yah opining about elected officials is the same as a school kid nice reach but
Talk about someone needing help
Have a nice day hypocrite
Carol Robidoux
Same old Joe.
Joe Kelly Levasseur
Well at least the city got to see the real you
The real anti trump hater you are
Typical liberal
Hahaaa
An 11 year old compared to an elected city official
Sure carol sure
Finally your hate and animosity has been seen for who you are at least I have been out there and consistent for 18 years
Carol Robidoux
Joe again, I think you’ve said more than enough to underscore my original point. Lashing out at me and calling me names really doesn’t help. How does this relate to Trump?
Joe Kelly Levasseur
Must have been really hard to work for the UL
Hypocrite lol
Have a nice day bully
Carol Robidoux
There was nothing hateful about what I wrote. I simply believe if you want to use social media to lash out at people, or your TV show to bully and belittle your colleagues maybe you should resign and do that instead. You are an alderman at large. You represent me. I do not want my alderman to say and do the things you say and do from your position of “leadership” and I took an editorial point of view… AFTER you refused to discuss it, and after interviewing several of your colleagues.
Joe Kelly Levasseur
Anything happens to my children or family because if your hateful lying editorial I will hold you personally responsible the hate spewed comments that you have allowed on your site are the most disgusting hateful messages ever read, one asked if my kids are in public school and others are attacking my businesses, all because I wouldn’t go after Williard for you
Carol Robidoux
You should take some responsibility for your own words and deeds, and stop making up stories. I didn’t ask you to go after Willard for me, I asked you how to proceed in court and you advised me. You’ve either lost your grip on reality, or you have some kind of disorder that creates false realities in your mind. Joe, I’m serious – you are so far off base with all of this, and I have no idea why you are badgering me after you accused me of harassing you, and asked me not to write to you anymore. How does that make any sense?
Joe Kelly Levasseur
As usual you change the topic we both know what this is all about in the past you have never allowed the comments you allow for a story about me, take responsibility? now it’s your turn. Hypocrite
Have a nice day
Carol Robidioux
Again, you don’t know what you’re talking about. I used to moderate the Manchester Happenings page. I no longer do. People are liable for their own words and posts on social media, Joe. You should also know that.
Joe Kelly Levasseur
Oh I’m betting you missed the post I made on the night of Cataldo’s vote where I congratulated him for owning his vote? And he thanked me for with a handshake? Yah, that’s what bullies do’ we both know you own that name now, see you Wednesday night for a show that will go down in history
Carol Robidoux
I spoke with John directly after the vote.
We had an interesting conversation.
June 25, 2018 4:58 p.m.