Fairfax County Fire Chief Richard Bowers on April 29 called out the web forum where users cyber-bullied firefighter Nicole Mittendorff, who committed suicide.
Mittendorff’s remains were found in the Shenandoah National Park after several days of searching. She had called in sick to work on April 13 before disappearing, the same day her family last heard from her through text message. Medical examiners concluded Mittendorff, 31, took her own life.
In a web forum not associated with the county’s government, Fairfax Underground, the firefighter is insulted and called “ugly,” as well as other sexual derogatory words, even after her death. Anonymous users in the forum also referenced posts from last December that talked badly about the 31-year-old.
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department said it has initiated an internal administrative investigation into the posts on the local web forum regarding Mittendorff.
Officials said in a statement that it is not yet known if the comments were posted by any county or Fire and Rescue Department employees.
“I have initiated a very aggressive internal investigation into who made the lewd, horrible comments on the Fairfax Underground blog,” Bowers said at a press conference.
