Matter of O’Hare (2013 NY Slip Op 05320).
The New York Appellate Division has suspended a lawyer from the practice of law for one year for creating an online profile on a lesbian dating site. The lawyer who is male was also convicted of attempted aggravated harassment.
The Court described the facts as follows: “The underlying facts, which are undisputed, are as follows: the respondent, using the internet, went to a dating site for lesbians and created a sham posting by impersonating a woman whom he knew years ago; he used both his home and work computers for this activity. The respondent was aware that the sham posting would likely cause embarrassment to the woman, who was a mother of three.”
The opinion does not explain why the lawyer took this action or how he knew the victim. The case is another example of internet misconduct becoming the subject of a disciplinary inquiry. This inquiry also involved a criminal charge.