The Amway Letter to UMN about Ashley Wilkes' Website

Following is the text of the letter written by Amway's attorney to the University of Minnesota about Ashley Wilkes' web site Amway Motivational Organizations: The Nightmare Builders.

May 11, 1998 by telecopier AND MAIL University of Minnesota Networking and Telecommunications Services 2221 University Ave, SE Suite 145 Minneapolis, MN 55455-0134

Re: http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/m307/wilke001/ and related pages, including: http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/m307/wilke001/LowndesPage2.html

Dear Sir: Amway Corporation has asked me to contact you about a series of web pages in the University of Minnesota Internet domain that contain defamatory and libelous statements about Amway and its millions of independent distributors.

This material, which is published at http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/m307/wilke001/amway.html, and related pages, also appears to violate several of the University's rules for use of its Internet facilities.

The author of this material identifies himself as Ashley Wilkes, a University of Minnesota employee, with an e-mail address at wilke001@maroon.tc.umn.edu. Mr. Wilkes uses his web pages to explain that he is attacking Amway and Amway distributors because he blames them for his personal problems.

The autobiographical portion of his web page states: Ashley Wilkes is . . . director of photography and audio visual operations in a department at the University of Minnesota. . . . He was divorced 2 years ago by his wife of 16 years because he quit the Amway business. See http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/m307/wilke001/AshleyWilkes.html.

Amway Corporation and its Founders have championed American freedoms for more than 30 years, including freedom of speech.

Amway respects Mr. Wilkes right to differ and to speak his mind. We have no wish to stifle honest disagreement. However, the First Amendment confers no right to defame or libel.

Our review of the University's published policies governing use of its Internet facilities particularly by University employees like Mr. Wilkes indicates that you do not permit your facilities to be misused in this manner.

We invite you to view Mr. Wilkes material and take whatever steps you think are appropriate to cause him to comply with your policies and the law.

Here are some examples of the kind of material Mr. Wilkes is publishing over the Universitys facilities. At http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/m307/wilke001/LOCfmldhyde.html Mr. Wilkes disparages Amways L.O.C. (Liquid Organic Cleaner) product, which has been a mainstay of the Companys extensive line of environmentally-friendly consumer products for nearly 40 years, by falsely asserting that it contains toxic levels of formaldehyde.

At http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/m307/wilke001/motivationScam.html Wilkes defames Amway distributors as addicts and suckers and implies they are all subject to mind control: I created all these addicts with my great training and education system I call Thought Reform. And all YOU have to do to get rich is become a charismatic leader like me and recruit 3000 suckers of your own who'll worship and follow you blindly . . . .

At http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/m307/wilke001/MindControl.html Mr. Wilkes repeats and expands this mind control libel, which also reappears at several other pages, including http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/m307/wilke001/amoSqueeze.html.

Again, at http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/m307/wilke001/WhatAreAMOS.html, Mr. Wilkes falsely states that Amway distributors: use a cultist system of tactics, beliefs and methods to facilitate their real purpose and use various tricks, deceptions and mind control . . . .

At http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/m307/wilke001/UplineLies.html Mr. Wilkes expands on this theme by falsely attributing various harmful ideas, tricks, untruths, half-truths, and misrepresentations to Amway distributors generally.

At http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/m307/wilke001/LowndesPage2.html Mr. Wilkes provides space on the Universitys facilities for another individual, who he identifies as Kenneth W. Lowndes, Post Office Box 55, Glenpool, OK 74033-0055. The Lowndes material contains statements such as:
Unknown to us, Amway was going to slander us to the folks we were
working with..... And, when Amway started down this cold, bloodthirsty
path of treachery and absolute betrayal, they did so in a stealth
manner! WITHOUT ANY NOTICE TO US FIRST. IN FACT, WITHOUT ANY INTENT TO
NOTICE US AT ALL!!!!

The THEFTS by the Amway corporate entity outlined and described through
out this account involve SEVERAL million of dollars.
The wrongful, harmful, intentional interference of Amway/MCI
representatives has literally cost this distributor -- along with my
former upline -- millions of dollars in profits. It has also nearly cost
our family the life of our very much loved son Jordan.
They [Amway] have also transparently violated some federal or state laws
regarding: A) mail fraud; B) Theft by deception; C) Telephonic fraud;
and D) R.I.C.O. statutes. But Amway, your baby, STOLE them, defrauding
me even of that potential outcome."

Mr. Wilkes is also using University facilities to publish harassing material for others unconnected to the University at http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/m307/wilke001/links.html, which provides hyperlinks to several similarly defamatory sites.

This appears to violate Academic/Administrative Policy 2.8.1, which provides: Contents of all electronic pages must be consistent with University of Minnesota policies and local, state, and federal laws. This includes links to other pages or computers. In other words, a page may be considered in violation if it contains links to a page that violates the policy.

Much Mr. Wilkes material would be merely farcical if it appeared on a private web page.

Unfortunately, he is using the University of Minnesotas prestigious Internet address, while conspicuously identifying himself as director of photography and audio visual operations in a department at the University of Minnesota. We believe it violates your policies, including Academic/Administrative Policy 2.8.1 (Acceptable Use of Computers, etc.) and 2.9.1 (Publishing Information on the World-Wide Web) for Mr. Wilkes, speaking as a University employee and using University facilities, to attack and harass others in this vicious manner.

Please take whatever steps you conclude are appropriate to bring Mr. Wilkes website into compliance with the University's policies. If I can be of help, please call, write or e-mail. Sincerely, John C. Peirce

Enclosures cc: wilke001@maroon.tc.umn.edu