Former professional extreme skier and author of the book The Art of Fear, Kristen Ulmer, has written an excellent article about the smear campaign on Dr. Marc Gafni.
She writes:
False news is a big topic these days. As it should be. Anyone can write anything they want about anything, publish it on the internet, and we believe it as truth.
Is it time then, to talk about its sister problem, which is false accusations? You can also make claims about anyone. Wives accuse x-husbands of sexually abusing the kids in order to wrangle sole custody. Politicians attack their opponent’s character to sway votes. Businessmen use slander campaigns against competitors to steal clients. And, we believe them too. Guilty until proven innocent, right?
Which brings me to the case of thought leader Marc Gafni. I say “case” with a chuckle. Marc over the years has been my friend, roommate, colleague, advisor — all of these things, but never my lover. Which makes me uniquely qualified to comment on the sexual integrity claims that have been made against him.
Over the last 12 years I’ve watched him be accused of (in no particular order) sexual coercion, being a predator of women, sleeping with students, and the big one; preying on young girls. These claims have been made over and over, with the same examples recirculating, to the point where they’re as predictable as traffic.
They’re recirculating because a group of Marc’s competitors who want to take him down keep bringing them back again and again. At least ten articles have been written exposing the source and motives for this deliberate and extended smear campaign, but it seems no one cares so long as we get to read another scandalous article that demonizes a famous person.