Two separate Zoom bombing episodes this week have City and Borough of Juneau officials ready to revisit an ordinance introduced — but not passed — last year to make the act a crime.<\/p>\n
During Monday evening’s City Assembly meeting, a caller interrupted the public comment section and made inappropriate and suggestive comments which singled out Assembly member Carole Triem.<\/p>\n
According to Triem, a similar episode happened earlier in the day at the Systemic Racism Review Committee. In that incident, the caller shared pornography.<\/p>\n
“It’s really aggressive and creepy,” Triem said in a Wednesday morning interview with the Empire. “It’s super disruptive. It just makes everyone feel bad.”<\/p>\n
It’s not the first time Triem has endured inappropriate comments from a Zoom caller.<\/p>\n
A similar incident occurred in August 2020. After that incident, city staff members developed a process to shut the caller down quickly, and the strategy worked Monday night.<\/p>\n
[City extends COVID mitigation measures through April]<\/a><\/ins><\/p>\n During the evening meeting, City Clerk Beth McEwen and CBJ municipal attorney Robert Palmer acted quickly to mute the caller and asked for an immediate recess.<\/p>\n When the meeting resumed a few minutes later, Mayor Beth Weldon addressed the issue and expressed disappointment.<\/p>\n “Monday’s meeting was way better,” Triem said. But, she said that even with a quick end, the call’s effects linger.<\/p>\n “You can shut it down really quickly, but the impact is the same,” she said, adding that she’d prefer to see a focus on prevention.<\/p>\n