This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A neighbor of one of the four newly announced homeless-shelter sites has sent a threatening email to Salt Lake City Councilman Derek Kitchen.
The past nine days have seen a torrent of angry emails and phone calls to Mayor Jackie Biskupski and the seven members of the council.
The latest email to Kitchen said the sender would "F—- you up." It continued: "You proposed a homeless shelter two blocks away from my home. ... Watch your back and I promise to hire someone to see you soon."
He was referring to a planned homeless shelter/resource center at 131 E. 700 South, the present site of a Deseret Industries outlet in Council District 4.
The sender also used a gay slur to address Kitchen. The councilman has long identified himself as gay.
The emailer also referred to James Magleby, an attorney who represented Kitchen and his partner, Moudi Sbeity, in the federal landmark case Kitchen v. Herbert, that sought legalization of gay marriage.
The email shocked Kitchen.
"I knew there were people who could be concerned or upset [by the site selections]. But I didn't expect to be afraid in the job [as city councilman]," Kitchen said Wednesday. "This is the first time I have been afraid in this job."
The councilman said he has reported the threat to the Salt Lake City Police Department.
The email contained a name and address purporting to be that of the sender, but The Tribune is not publishing the name because the newspaper was not able to independently confirm the man's identity.
Magleby said the name used in the email was that of a paralegal he worked with nearly 20 years ago — a man he lost touch with long ago — and Magleby has no idea why he would invoke the attorney's name.
Magleby issued a statement clarifying that he does not represent the man, whose language he denounced as "bigoted," "repulsive and detestable.
"His threat of violence should be taken seriously and prosecuted. His words and actions have no place in decent society, and everyone should stand up and against this kind of thing."
Kitchen noted that he has received emails and phone messages praising the mayor and council for doing something for homeless people and the challenges they and the community face.
"I want to make sure the good messages aren't forgotten," he said.
Council members James Rogers and Charlie Luke got anonymous emails from someone saying he or she hoped they got brain cancer and died. The sender said that he or she would ask others to pray for the deaths.
Councilwoman Lisa Adams has received numerous messages by phone and email using derogatory language.
"Some suggested I do things that are anatomically impossible," she said without adding detail.
Adams said she has been called terrible things that no one has ever said to her before.
"I've never been involved with something that has brought out the worst in people like this has," she said. "Maybe it's because we're living in [Donald] Trump world."
The most frightening of her emails said, "you will never survive this."
After her initial shock, Adams considered that perhaps the sender was speaking in political terms — as in, she wouldn't get re-elected.
Councilwoman Erin Mendenhall, too, has received a raft of negative feedback, but nothing like the email to Kitchen threatening bodily harm.
"They are threatening politically, they are insulting with name-calling and foul language," she said of email and phone messages. "I also would say I've had some good feedback from constituents."
Mendenhall said the shelter-site selection process was difficult for all involved.
"No one thought it would be fun," she said, noting that the fallout has been much worse than anticipated. "It's hard to prepare for something you've never done before."
Although the email that threatened Kitchen concerned a downtown shelter/resource center, much of the blowback has centered around the site at 653 E. Simpson Ave. (2300 South) in Sugar House. It is the only one of the four that directly abuts a residential neighborhood.
That location is in Adams' District 7 but near the boundary line with Mendenhall's District 5.
Adams, Mendenhall, and Luke are pushing for a women-only shelter/resource center on Simpson Avenue. Demographic designations for that shelter could come at the council's Jan. 3 meeting at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 451 State St.