The following letter from Dr. LaToya B. Gathers was sent to the Rhino Times and the FCC. Due to the Holiday weekend, I just saw this and am posting it now. Scott Yost.
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20554
Dear Commissioners,
I am writing to formally raise concerns about targeted communications and inflammatory public commentary that I believe compromise the integrity of political discourse and may warrant regulatory attention.
On August 30, 2025, the Rhino Times published my op-ed titled “Candidate Says Real Leadership Doesn’t Hide Behind Yard Signs” in its Letters to the Editor section. In this piece, I outlined my commitment to values-driven campaigning—eschewing performative tactics in favor of direct engagement, transparency, and principled leadership.
Following the publication, I have been subjected to inflammatory and coded public comments, particularly from an individual named Al Hare. These remarks have not only targeted me personally but have employed language that others in the community have found offensive, racially charged, and deeply inappropriate. Constituents have expressed concern over the use of veiled descriptors and dog-whistle rhetoric that appear designed to delegitimize my candidacy and identity.
In response, I contacted the Rhino Times and formally requested that the comments be deleted and that the ability to comment on my letter be disabled entirely. Despite multiple attempts to reach out, my communications have been ignored. This lack of response raises serious questions about the platform’s commitment to responsible moderation and its role in enabling targeted harassment of candidates—particularly those from historically marginalized communities.
I respectfully urge the Commission to consider reviewing the standards that govern political communications and comment moderation in digital media spaces, especially during election cycles. My experience reflects a broader pattern of exclusion and coded targeting that threatens the democratic process and the ability of candidates to campaign without harassment or distortion.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I am available to provide further documentation or context as needed.
Sincerely,
Dr. LaToya B. Gathers
Candidate for Greensboro City Council At-Large
Candidate Says Real Leadership Doesn’t Hide Behind Yard Signs
Welcome to the club.
That’s going to lose you some votes, doc. Anti-free speech is never a good stance to take. Freedom of speech is designed to protect the speech you don’t like, not the speech everyone is ok with. And trying to use the government to silence your dissenters does not play well in the court of public opinion. Lost my vote right there, unfortunately.
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No need to worry about her getting elected, Don. In her last race she finished dead last in a field of four, winning only 10% of votes cast in Goldie Wells’ District (2022 D2 Primary).
She’s obviously unfit for public office, and the voters agree.
The repetitive chanting of her drones in the comment section didn’t help her cause either.
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I know. I was attacked by a mob of her Brownshirts ( over a four word critique! ).
What unpleasant people.
Al Hare, your rhetoric is not only unfit for the Rhino Times—it’s unfit for any space that values truth, dignity, or basic decency. The hate you spew isn’t clever, it’s cowardly. You hide behind double talk and keyboard bravado, trying to sound intelligent while recycling the same tired, racist diatribe.
We see through it. We’re tired of it. And we won’t let it stand unchallenged.
Dr. Gathers deserves respect—not harassment. And this community deserves better than the kind of hate you continue to fuel. Your words don’t intimidate—they expose you. No one wants you or your vote. Get it through your head you’re unfit and we don’t care what you think Al. Leave already . Get a life. She has my vote.
It’s clear that Al Hare’s comments have crossed a line—from disagreement into outright hostility. When someone consistently targets women and minorities with condescension, coded language, and personal attacks, it’s not just hateful—it’s a pattern. And it deserves to be called out.
Dr. Gathers has shown what principled leadership looks like: standing firm, speaking truth, and refusing to be bullied. That kind of strength rattles people who are used to controlling the narrative. But hate only thrives when it’s ignored—and this community is watching.
Dr. Gathers has modeled what fitness for public life actually looks like: integrity, courage, and a refusal to be silenced. The contrast couldn’t be clearer. Let the record show—hate may be loud, but it’s never strong. And it’s never welcome where dignity leads. Enough said!
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NOTICE ! Three comments, supposedly by different people, in just EIGHT MINUTES.
What does that tell you? The word was put out to her gang and they reacted without delay.
These are plastic attacks on me, generated by an unusually thin skinned and vindictive person.
She is unfit for public office.
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There is an alternative explanation: they were all written by the same person – a certain Latoya B. Gathers – under different names, before she went to work.
Dr. Gathers absolutely has my vote—because she leads with integrity, stands her ground, and refuses to be bullied or silenced by racism. That kind of courage deserves support, not backlash. So Don, let’s be clear: no votes are lost. They’re just going where they belong.
Dr. Gathers absolutely has my vote—because she leads with integrity, stands her ground, and refuses to be bullied or silenced by racism. That kind of courage deserves support, not backlash. So Don, let’s be clear: no votes are lost. They’re just going where they belong.
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Do all of Gathers’ Gang of Goons submit their statements twice? Do you think it makes your comments more effective? Or are you just a bunch of idiots, ganging up on an individual whose crime was… uttering a brief four word critique of your hero?
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Really..?? Really… ????
Tell me what I said that triggered you. My comments used no inflammatory or “racially charged” language, because I am no racist. “Prolix platitudes and pablum” is an accurate description of your sophomoric Letter to the Editor.
You’re awfully precious to consider that you are above criticism. As Harry Truman said, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”. And you’re not even in the kitchen yet.
You can expect criticism if you run for office, and your petulant self-indulgent display of pique does not reflect well on you.
Grow up.
More hate from Al Hare—predictable, tired, and steeped in the same cowardice that’s defined his attacks for years. When a strong Black woman speaks truth, he reaches for intimidation, misogyny, and racism. That’s not leadership. That’s desperation.
Dr. Gathers didn’t deserve the hate speech, the coded language, or the attempts to silence her. She stood up, spoke out, and refused to play small. And that’s exactly why she will win—not just votes, but respect.
Al, where are the votes for your candidate? That’s right—you don’t have one. Because tearing down women and minorities is easier than building something of your own. But no one’s intimidated. No one’s impressed. And no one cares what you think.
The Rhino Times should be a space for public discourse, not a platform for your racism. We see you. We’re not afraid of you. And we’re not backing down
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The Rhino Times absolutely IS A SPACE FOR PUBLIC DISCOURSE.
So why is YOUR candidate trying to shut down this debate by reporting it, this newspaper, and me – by name – to the FCC ?
WHO IS THE FASCIST HERE?
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One more thing, Gary. You accuse me of racism. That is a lie, a vile and odious smear against me.
So… show me EXACTLY what I said that is racist. Come on, it should be easy, right? My words are right here in The Rhino – and I stand by EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.
Or are you just targeting me in the most despicable way, because I dared to criticize your candidate?
Who’s the depraved one here?
Freedom of speech and the press. This letter offends some, but I don’t see anyone calling for it to come down.
Those who like censorship should talk with Biden or Zuckerberg.
You mean like Trump:
– trying to block freedom of speech of anti-Isreal protests? or really any protest he doesn’t support? ..
– his wanting to arrest journalists that print news he doesn’t like?
– his wanting to approve any scientific papers before being published to make sure it only says things he supports?
– his wanting remove broadcasting licenses of news stations he doesn’t like?
– his wanting to go against SCOTUS precedent on burning of flag by making it a federal crime?
– stripping of funding from universities that don’t follow his policies on diversity and inclusion?
– his pulling funding from law firms who represented clients he doesn’t like?
– he even fires people who present analysis and data that he doesn’t agree with.
But yeah, let the republicans get upset because a private business wanted to fact check false information spreading across its platform.
Just more conservative hypocrisy.
No President has assaulted the US Constitution more than Donald Trump. Especially the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution.
And for those radicals who say Trump is a tyrant and violates the Constitution, here’s what a former liberal law professor and a great admirer of Barack Obama, Garrett Epps, admits: Obama’s constitutional record is disturbingly mixed. Obama leaves the Constitution weaker than when he began his term. In Obama’s first term, he launched a “We Can’t Wait” initiative, explaining that “when Congress won’t act, this president will.” Obama enacted ObamaCare without the approval of Congress, saying, “I will not allow gridlock, or inaction, or willful indifference to get in our way.” Obama dropped 26,000 bombs on seven different countries without Congress’s approval, and he framed Trump with the Russia collusion hoax.
I stand with Dr. Gathers and John—because every time a principled minority voice challenges the status quo, the same bitter old guard shows up with defensiveness and disdain. It’s not just resistance to change—it’s resentment toward anyone who dares to lead without permission. You don’t hate the message; you hate that it’s coming from someone you didn’t choose. She has my vote .
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Who’s John?
Do try to get the basics right, Sue, or you just look stupid.
Imagine that!
Dr. Gathers did not deserve the hate speech that followed by Al Hare. Disagreement is fair game—but personal attacks, coded language, and attempts to silence her voice are not. This is
not censorship it’s a fight against hate. I stand with Dr. Gathers
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Pray tell, what hate speech have I enunciated?
C.mon, I want to know.
Or are you just lying about me, destroying my reputation, and using whatever lies will support your candidate?
Someone here is indeed despicable – but it’s not me.
I’ve always appreciated reading the Rhino Times, but the level of hate directed at Dr. Gathers this past week has crossed a line. It needs to stop. This community should never be a breeding ground for racism, misogyny, or personal attacks—and yet that’s exactly what’s being encouraged.
Al Hare is feeding off the comment section like a parasite, amplifying the worst of it with every post. It’s not discourse—it’s harassment. And it’s pathetic. We owe it to ourselves and our city to do better.She is the only candidate with experience and working to make Greensboro better and you try to penalize her truth. She has our vote. She deserves better. Greensboro deserves her . Let me be honest—as a newcomer, I watched Greensboro vote for incumbents who’ve consistently let us down. The low vote counts for other candidates weren’t about their lack of ability or refinement, and certainly not about Dr. Gathers. It was about a system that favors familiarity over accountability.
Look at the other candidates—they’re not even close when it comes to clarity, courage, or community connection. Dr. Gathers dared to ask for respect and engage in respectful dialogue. And somehow, that’s controversial? Why would anyone expect to be attacked for simply wanting to be treated with dignity?
The way some of you are acting here is wrong. It’s not just disappointing—it’s revealing. And it’s exactly why voices like hers matter more than ever.
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Apparently no-one is allowed to criticize a Letter to the Editor by a black female without being accused of racism and misogyny by her army of acolytes.
Gathers’s Goons attack and smear without any basis in truth (they’ve been instructed to do so, no doubt).
They can’t point out anything I’ve said that’s racist or sexist – because I am not a racist or a sexist. But that doesn’t stop them.
And that is a perfect example of bigotry and prejudice.
You’re correct, Al.
There are certain topics half the country is not allowed to discuss: DEI, CRT, Race, Trans shooters, Queers, the mental illness of shooters and Biden, equality, the Russia Hoax, climate hoax, the list goes on and on.
CNN was more interested in using the deranged MN shooter’s preferred pronouns than in condemning him.
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Thanks, Salt Life. I certainly never expected such a torrent of personal abuse to be directed at me – for one four word criticism.
Perhaps she expected to silence me. Well that backfired.
I don’t like bullies.