New York Times‘s Assistant General Counsel Finally "Responds" to Persistent Harassment of Author by NY Times Staffer(s)
David McCraw, Assistant General Counsel of The New York Times, has finally "responded" to the accusations of ongoing harassment and violent threats perpetrated by New York Times staffer/writers Jeffrey and Meg Henson-Scales against author Abbe Diaz, for unveiling an alleged New York Times impropriety involving their daughter, NY Times essayist, Coco Henson-Scales.
The persistent malicious messages to Diaz by the Henson-Scaleses (which were originally posted as comments to the PX This website under such pseudonyms as “Wanda Smith,” “til8x8x8is4,” and “Jesus Palacios”) have included such malevolent sentiments as [entirely sic]:
“if you don’t take your shit about Coco?? You WILL lose the bullsit you have… ll change your mind. Keep an eye on your front and your back: WHORE.
You disgusting piece of smegma. I’d go to the electric chair laughing, if I only got to kill you.”
“… I will tell you this, though. IF I ever find your twisted weave within reachin’ distance of me, I will likely break your neck- if you have one, you no-necked piece of filth… I hope you die soon. I’ll keep my eye you, cunt.”
“you keep that shit lies about Coco? you fucking bitch. you twat. wannaget raped?“
“Keep talking about Coco Henson Scales. You must think actions doon’t have consequences”
Married a millionaire, my ass… Turning tricks for old men… Please. Just kill yourself. Make the world a better place.”
"… This is you first and last warnings. Take down your vicious drag queen sheet about Coco and Meg (I know them both); or your shit’s bout to be fried.
You ain’t nuttin but a losin, fugly, stupid bitch, with nuttin to work with.
Why you don’t kill yourself?
Jes sayin. YOU AIN’T SHIT.
Coco and Meg may not be able to hurt you, but WE WILL. NOW."
The full "response" by The New York Times Assistant General Counsel to this ongoing harassment, apparently penned to NY Times staffer Jeffrey Henson-Scales as legal advisement against Diaz’s staunch implementation of her First Amendment Rights, is as follows:
Jeffrey,
Sorry to see this is still going on. Incredible.
Your daughter could of course sue, but that seems like more trouble than it could possibly be worth and the court will just award damages not order the takedown of posts. She could also hire a reputation management company like reputation.com. It will work with her to do some things that push the unpleasant content way down in a Google search. That often helps.
I also think she could ask her editor to write some sort of letter that she could then post in response to these posting. Basically, it would say that the paper has investigated this and have concluded that the claim is totally false. Whether that helps people see the truth or simply keeps the matter alive, I don’t know.
I wish I had some better solutions.
David McCraw
It’s worth noting that neither Abbe Diaz, nor any associate of PX This, has ever received any direct response whatsoever from either The New York Times, its legal counsel, nor its Public Editor (whose responsibility "deals specifically with issues of journalistic integrity"), despite multiple e-mail attempts to contact The Times, and several attempted/ unanswered phone calls over an extended period directly to the Henson-Scaleses by the Detective Squad of The New York Police Department.
Rather, the response to the dire allegations were posted in the comment section of the PX This website by Meg Henson-Scales.
PX This has sent this e-mail to David McCraw in reply:
Dear Mr David McCraw:
It is our understanding that The New York Times has conducted an "investigation" into the persistent harassment and violent threats by New York Times staffers/writers Jeffrey and Meg Henson-Scales against author Abbe Diaz, for unveiling an alleged NY Times impropriety involving their daughter, NY Times essayist, Coco Henson Scales.
We have attempted on multiple occasions to contact The Times, its editor, and its Public Editor, for any acknowledgement, resolution, rebuttal, statement, or comment regarding the ongoing harassment, but have received absolutely no response whatsoever.
We would greatly appreciate the direct contact information of those persons who have conducted the investigation, and/or the information constituting the investigation which resulted in the conclusion that our multiple claims of dire impropriety and misdeeds allegedly perpetrated by The Times and its associates are "totally false."
We intend to submit this information to The New York Police Department to supplement the ongoing Aggravated Harassment report we have filed, as well as include it in the publication of Diaz’s continuous memoir. Obviously, any public presentation of the proof of our serious claims of misconduct and unscrupulousness being "totally false" would be beneficial to The New York Times and its associates.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Steven Wilson
Administrator, PX This
wilson.pxthis@gmail.com
We currently STILL await response from The New York Times, its Editor, its Public Editor, and/or its General Counsel.
If it’s any consolation though, Mr McCraw —
"Basically, it would say that the paper has investigated this and have concluded that the claim is totally false. Whether that helps people see the truth or simply keeps the matter alive, I don’t know."
— we here at PX This are QUITE confident that this ongoing correspondence "helps people see the truth" AND "keeps the matter alive."
This story will continue to be updated as it progresses.
• • •
The apparent motives and complete timeline of the cyber-harassment and physical threats are as follows:
• In late May of 2004, Abbe Diaz publishes her first book, titled PX This – Diary of the “Maitre d’ to the Stars” [née Diary of the Potted Plant], chronicling over four years of her experience within the fine-dining industry, in its original dated and time-stamped daily journal format.
[It’s worth noting that in the four-plus years it took Diaz to write and publish her daily journal, never had there been any such “star-studded” publication by a front-of-house restaurant worker.]
• In early June 2004, Diaz advertises PX This on Gawker for two weeks.
• On July 11 2004, an article appears in the New York Times titled, “The Hostess Diaries: My Year at a Hotspot,” ostensibly written by “Coco Henson Scales.” It describes several incidents involving such celebrities as Naomi Campbell, three former first daughters of the United States, and Monica Lewinsky.
The owner of the “hotspot,” Karim Amatullah, later asserts that quotes attributed to him were never confirmed for veracity, the essay was never fact-checked by the Times, and that certain events narrated in the damaging essay “never happened.”
Additionally, the article fails to disclose in any way that “Coco Henson Scales,” the ostensible author of the pejorative essay, is the daughter of a New York Times staffer.
• On July 12 2004, Choire Sicha, the head editor of Gawker, praises and lionizes the Times essay on the media-centric blog, calling it “required reading.” He states that he has checked the identity of “Coco” and that she is indeed a “real person,” as confirmed by “somebody who used to work in an office with her.”
Sicha further promulgates the essay on his own blog, choiresicha.com, and deems Coco Henson Scales “the people’s hero.”
Sicha fails to disclose in any way that “Coco Henson Scales” is the daughter of a New York Times staffer, nor does he disclose his own romantic relationship with Frank Bruni, the foremost restaurant columnist for The New York Times.
• Immediately, multiple fans of PX This send e-mails to Gawker comparing the “required reading” essay to Diaz’s book, with at least one noting that PX This had been advertised on Gawker mere weeks prior.
• On July 15 2004, Choire Sicha e-mails Diaz asking for the “campaign” to “stop.” He calls himself a “big fan” of Diaz.
• Diaz responds to Sicha with a link to a just-published July 15 New York Daily News article announcing the release of PX This. Sicha responds, “mmm hot,” but does not publicly acknowledge the existence of PX This in any way, nor its obvious similarity to his “required reading” essay— despite PX This having been advertised on Gawker less than four weeks prior.
• Over the following years, Diaz is subjected to journalistic transgressions and unethical deeds of varying degrees on multiple accounts— including libel, censorship, and unwarranted denigration— by Gawker, The New York Post, New York magazine, Eater, etc. It’s notable that Eater’s founder is a former managing editor of Gawker, and that at least one New York magazine editor is a former head editor of Gawker.
• In March of 2008, the dubious New York Times essay by "Coco Henson Scales" is published in a collection of short stories edited by Ira Glass, titled The New Kings of Nonfiction. The book fails to disclose in any way the relationship of the "essayist" to a New York Times staffer.
• Starting in 2010, Diaz [still unaware as to the relationship of Coco Henson Scales to a NY Times staffer] attempts to hire a freelance journalist to pen an objective investigative report on “how, against all odds, a 4200-word semi-fictional essay by a fledgling (and now, seemingly non-existent) writer with admittedly very little expertise and no upper-tier title in one’s field, came to be published in the venerable New York Times as a substantial nonfictional feature— particularly without any ‘questions asked’ nor ‘arguments clarified’ nor ‘factual errors caught’ (as per the Times’s Op-Ed submissions page).”
In the six years since the publication of the 2004 essay, Coco Henson Scales, a “king of nonfiction,” writes nothing further. Absolutely no online presence exists for Coco Henson Scales.
• In 2012, Diaz offers the writers of Slacktory the investigative reporter challenge. Nick Douglas, the owner of Slacktory responds, "ATTENTION SLACKTORY WRITERS: Any of you who take this job will be summarily fired, and your health insurance retroactively revoked. I have orders straight from Nick Denton, [owner of Gawker] for whom I still obviously work."
• In July 2014, Abbe Diaz releases her second book, titled PX Me, detailing her decade-long experiences. Within it, mounting evidence alleges that Choire Sicha, Frank Bruni, and Coco Henson Scales colluded to misappropriate her work in order to garner a “book deal” and/or “screen option” for themselves.
Diaz speculates that the dubious essay was in actuality ghost-written by Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni (seemingly buttressed by the corroboration of writing stylometry software developed by Drexel University academicians) and was then subsequently lionized on Gawker by Choire Sicha, Bruni’s former romantic partner.
Diaz also discovers the relationship between Coco and Jeffrey Henson Scales, a New York Times photographer/editor, and the current whereabouts of “Coco Henson Scales” aka Coco Tigre Phillips.
She further asserts that Gawker owner Nick Denton colluded in the suppression of the mounting evidence detailed in PX Me, by threatening to blacklist freelance journalists.
• The New York Times and its Public Editor, Margaret Sullivan, are contacted via e-mail three times over a period of several weeks, requesting comment/clarification on Diaz’s published allegations. The Times does not respond.
• In August of 2014, Jeffrey Henson Scales writes in his Tumblr blog (created June 2014) revealing Times “essayist” Coco Henson Scales as his daughter. He further attempts to clarify that the dubious essay in question was commissioned by NY Times Art Editor Barbra Graustark.
This, ten years later, is the very first disclosure of the relationship of the “essayist” to a Times staffer; it is the very first disclosure that the disparaging and damaging essay was specifically commissioned by an editor of The New York Times.
• Starting in October of 2014, “troll” messages by "Wanda Smith" and user-handle "til8x8x8is4" begin to appear on Abbe Diaz’s websites. They state such things as:
"Abbe is a moron- a hostile, filthy, moron. Let’s not worry. She’ll be gone soon, like every thing she’s attempted to ‘rite’."
"I hope ALL that parfum helps to cut that nasty stank emanating from your STD ass. You are the WORST. Bitch. Ever."
They are oddly reminiscent of two 2004 e-mails sent to Diaz by a "William Diggs" immediately following the publication of Coco Henson Scales’s essay— despite the NY Times and Gawker never having acknowledged/publicized the existence of PX This. [In 2004, Diaz’s book and website were primarily considered "esoteric."]
"You must be a horrible disappointment to yourself to call Coco such horrible names. Somewhere in you, you must know that your restaurant job isn’t"moonlighting"; that you’re a total failure. I know her, and she’s great. You, clearly, are much less than that. One thing, though– I didn’t know they had maitre d’s at Burger King. Are you volunteering, or what?"
“You have so little class (unlike Coco), and are obviously so beneath EVERYone, I don’t think I’ll bother with you anymore. You’re nothing but an under-educated foul mouthed wretch. You’ll be on the sidelines cursing at your betters forever. Tata, loser.”
• On November 18 2014, a threatening message is left on Abbe Diaz’s website:
“Your head is so far up your ass. Because YOU haven’t a scintilla of talent, you assume coco is (puke) like yoour nothing ass.
Let it go. She wrote it. She didn’t like the writer’s life, and lives happily with her husband and daughter.
I will tell you this, though. IF I ever find your twisted weave within reachin’ distance of me, I will likely break your neck- if you have one, you no-necked piece of filth.
Coco has something you lack- talent,looks, personality, and a life that isn’t buried beneath a pile of shit. That’s you.
I hope you die soon. I’ll keep my eye you, cunt.”
The IP address is the same as those responsible for the prior malicious messages.
• On November 26 2014, the Time Warner RoadRunner IP address behind the malicious and threatening messages is online-traced and cross-referenced to a location one-half block from the residence of Jeffrey Henson Scales, in an unusual section of Manhattan. The assumption of Jeffrey Henson Scales’s innocence constitutes a statistically impossible coincidence.
• On November 28 2014, a report was filed with the New York Police Department, who deemed it Aggravated Harassment. On this website, the perpetrator of these threats was warned against further contacting Diaz, this website, nor any of its affiliates using a concealed identity.
• On December 19 2014, another threatening comment, signed "Meg Henson" was left on this website. It reads:
"… But now? I’m coming for you. Watch out, whatever you are. I don’t stop, and I don’t lose. Say ONE more lie about my wonderful TALENTED daughter, don’t make this pile of shit page disappear, and I guarantee you. You will regret it. What?!? You’re garbage and you know it, clap your hands? Clap them nasty things. I will have EVERY law enforcement agency on your nothing else SO quick. Ask around, it. You need a job! This ain’t one. Married a millionaire, my ass. NO ONE would marry you, or even befriend you. Why? Because you’re a liar, an EDP, and you need to be institutionalized. When I get your highly hidden name; it will become the prejorative for cowards. That’s what you are. Self publish, it. NO one wants you. No one. Except the police. At this point, I officially acknowledge that you are a threat to my life, and that of my family. And I WILL stand my ground, you nasty piece of nothing. Yes. I am here for you. Come find me! Let’s see what happens then, fugly mind, soulless, unwanted, it. Come get some. File this under BYE! You’re gone."
It was followed hours later by another message stating:
"Your failed life sounds miserable. Turning tricks for old men,deluding yourself into thinking you’re a writer? Please. Just kill yourself. Make the world a better place."
Diaz considers the blatant psychological projection of the continuing messages "disturbing" and "alarming."
• On December 20 2014, the evidence of continuing harassment and threats was filed with the New York Police Department.
• On February 1 2015, MORE threatening and abusive messages were left on Abbe Diaz’s other website. They include malicious sentiments such as:
“you keep that shit lies about Coco? you fucking bitch. you twat. wannaget raped?“
and
“Keep talking about Coco Henson Scales. You must think actions doon’t have consequences. But you are a sychopath. Arent you?“
Unlike all the prior messages, they were posted with the use of a free server proxy which distorts IP address locations and masks the identity of the online service provider. These messages have been traced to an empty field in a remote rural area of Utah.
• On February 14 2015, another threatening message was left on this website. It reads:
“if you don’t take your shit about Coco?? You WILL lose the bullsit you have… ll change your mind. Keep an eye on your front and your back: WHORE.
You disgusting piece of smegma. I’d go to the electric chair laughing, if I only got to kill you.”
• On April 17 2015, Meg and/or Jeffrey Henson Scales reconfirm their cyber-harassment by leaving more messages via Facebook.
• On May 18 2015, Meg Henson Scales continues the cyber-harassment of Abbe Diaz by emailing this website via Gmail. Henson’s email address has been online traced to the same residence as the original IP address under which the harassment began.
• On June 17 2015, another harassing message was left on popular Q&A website Quora in response to the question, "How does a false story get into The New York Times?" Although screen-captured and posted to the PX This website, the “answer” was promptly deleted by Quora administrators upon its discovery, and anonymity privileges were revoked against its registered user to prevent further abuse of the social media platform.
• On August 31 2015, more messages were left on Diaz’s blogs. Despite being different from the original IP address under which the cyber-harassment began, the new IP was online traced to the very same vicinity in an unusual section of Manhattan, one-half block from the residence of New York Times staffer Jeffrey Henson Scales.
• On November 6 2015, "friends" of Jeffrey and/or Meg Henson-Scales issue an additional threat against Abbe Diaz via e-mail to the PX This website, using a disposable guerillamail address.
• On December 10 2015, Meg Henson-Scales contacts the PX This website via its comment section, and encloses the aforementioned "response" by New York Times Assistant General Counsel, David McCraw, in rebuttal to Diaz’s multiple allegations of impropriety and harassment.
The TimeWarner-Roadrunner IP address under which the latest comment was posted, although slightly different from the other IP addresses under which the harassment has progressed, was online traced to the very same Manhattan vicinity as the other IP adresses, all previously traced to the same vicinity as the Henson-Scaleses residence.
• The New York Times has been contacted on numerous occasions but to this day has not responded. This story will continue to be updated as it progresses.
Previously: NY TIMES STAFFER ENGAGES IN CYBER-HARASSMENT / PHYSICAL THREATS
See also:
• THE CURIOUS CASE OF COCO HENSON SCALES
• MEDIA COLLUDES IN COVER-UP OF JOURNALISTIC MISDEEDS
• Should I pay $10,000 for this writing assignment?
• Journalists = Rocket Surgeons
• Freelance Writer Wanted
Tags: CHOIRE SICHA, COCO HENSON SCALES, CORRUPTION IN THE MEDIA, DAVID McCRAW, FRANK BRUNI, GAWKER, JEFFREY HENSON SCALES, NICK DENTON, THE NEW YORK TIMES