University of Idaho professor sues TikTok tarot card reader who accused her of murder
Jeremiah Poff
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A University of Idaho professor sued a TikTok user famous for using tarot cards purportedly to “solve” murders after she accused the professor of ordering the killing of four University of Idaho students.
Rebecca Scofield, the chairwoman of the history department at the University of Idaho, filed a federal lawsuit last week in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho against Ashley Guillard, a TikTok personality with more than 110,000 followers. In a series of videos posted over the past month, Guillard accused Scofield of ordering the murder of four University of Idaho students.
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Police in Moscow, Idaho, have yet to identify a suspect for the Nov. 13 slayings, when Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin were stabbed to death while they slept in their off-campus home.
Guillard, whose TikTok username is “ashleyisinthebookoflife,” claimed that Scofield directed a male student to kill the four and that the history professor had been romantically involved with one of the victims. On her website, Guillard describes herself as “clairvoyant” and says she can “access and interpret information from the universal consciousness.”
“I’m able to do this primarily through my connection with my inner self/spirit,” Guillard says. “I use my ability to help solve mysteries and to see beyond the surface of people, places and things.”
In the filing, Scofield accused Guillard of defaming her, noting that she had never met any of the victims, nor had she met the student Guillard said carried out the murders.
“Professor Scofield did not participate in the murders, and she had never met any of the victims, let alone entered a romantic relationship with them,” the lawsuit says. “Guillard’s videos have been viewed millions of times, amplifying Guillard’s online persona at the expense of Professor Scofield’s reputation.”
Guillard’s TikTok account features dozens of videos about the case, the vast majority of which discuss Scofield’s supposed role in the slaying of the four students. After the lawsuit was filed, Guillard said in a video that she had “physical evidence against Rebecca Scofield” but could not share because “it has to wait for court.”
Comments on Guillard’s videos offered a mixed response, with some comments expressing support for Guillard’s accusations and others expressing concern that the TikTok star was making defamatory allegations.
Prior to filing the lawsuit, Scofield’s lawyers sent Guillard a series of cease and desist letters, which Guillard mockingly showcased in her videos. In one video, Guillard purported to replace her roll of toilet paper with the attorney’s letter.
“The statements made about Professor Scofield are false, plain and simple. What’s even worse is that these untrue statements create safety issues for the Professor and her family,” Wendy Olsen, Scofield’s attorney, told Fox News Digital.
Scofield’s lawsuit seeks damages of more than $70,000 from Guillard, in addition to attorneys fees.
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“Professor Scofield has been damaged by Guillard’s false statements,” the lawsuit says. “Her reputation has been tarnished, and she has suffered extreme emotional distress from the constant public attention and the ongoing online conversation discussing the false relationship with a student, as falsely alleged by Guillard.”