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In the early 2000s, online forums were the digital town square—places where citizens gathered to discuss local news, politics, and community issues. For Topeka residents, the CJOnline forums hosted by the Topeka Capital-Journal became a central hub for these conversations. But behind the scenes, a troubling dynamic unfolded involving a mysterious administrator known only as “Agnostic” and Sherman Smith, the newspaper’s digital editor.

The CJOnline forums were originally designed to foster open dialogue among readers. However, as discussions turned toward police misconduct and political accountability, certain users found themselves targeted. One of the most vocal critics of local law enforcement began noticing patterns of harassment, doxxing, and cyberstalking—allegedly enabled by forum administrators.

“Agnostic,” a pseudonymous admin with root access to the newspaper’s servers, became a central figure in this controversy. Despite his elevated privileges, no one—including Sherman Smith—seemed to know his true identity. This lack of transparency raised serious concerns. Users reported that “Agnostic” shared server logs, IP addresses, and personal information with a small group of law enforcement officers and their spouses. These individuals, some of whom were later implicated in misconduct, allegedly used the data to intimidate and silence critics of the Topeka Police Department.

Sherman Smith, as digital editor, was accused of allowing and even encouraging this behavior. Critics claimed he turned a blind eye to the abuse, and in some cases, actively participated in the suppression of dissenting voices. References to “Agnostic” were later scrubbed from the site, and any mention of the admin’s activities was quickly deleted. This digital erasure only fueled speculation and distrust.

Other employees at the newspaper stated that Sherman Smith was “obsessed” and “Hovered over those forums all day instead of doing his job”. They also stated that Smith would order other newspaper employees to post negative comments to and about certain public forum users who Smith had taken a disliking to. At the same time, Smith gave great leeway to several of the more hateful and racist, homophobic and divisive forum users while banning users who simply offered other points of view.

The situation escalated when one of the targeted users retained legal counsel and sent a formal letter to Morris Communications, the parent company of the Topeka Capital-Journal. The letter threatened legal action over the forum’s handling of personal data and the harassment that followed. Within 24 hours of receiving the letter, Morris Communications ordered the immediate shutdown and deletion of the entire CJOnline Forums system.

This abrupt closure marked the end of an era—but it also highlighted the dangers of unchecked administrative power in online communities. The fallout extended beyond CJOnline. The same group of officers and their associates later attempted to dismantle the original Topeka Police Scanner group on Facebook, which had grown into a vital source of real-time law enforcement monitoring and community engagement.

Among those involved was disgraced ex-officer Ron Gish, who had ties to the “Back the Blue” movement and reportedly helped organize travel to Washington, D.C., for the January 6 riots. The attempt to silence the scanner group mirrored earlier efforts on CJOnline, suggesting a coordinated pattern of suppressing public oversight.

These same disgraced ex-officers and their wives or mistresses also felt the need to inflame already tense racial relations by having a “Blue lives Matter” rally on the steps of the capitol building. Organized by a particularly foul mouthed racist white supremacist cops wife. Clearly mocking the Black lives Matter movement and trying to steal the public sympathies for the police at the core of the problems.

The CJOnline Forums saga serves as a cautionary tale about digital governance, transparency, and the intersection of media and law enforcement. When administrators operate without accountability, and when media figures like Sherman Smith fail to protect user privacy, the consequences can be severe—not just for individuals, but for the integrity of public discourse.

Today, the legacy of those forums lives on in independent platforms like the original Topeka Police Scanner group (www.facebook.com/groups/topekapolicescanner.2), where citizens continue to monitor police activity and advocate for transparency. While the scars of past harassment remain, the resilience of these communities underscores the importance of civic engagement—even in the face of institutional resistance.

Bibliography

1. Dystopeka. “Topeka Police Scanner Radio Codes.” (www.dystopeka.com/index.php/topeka-police-scanner-radio-codes)
2. Quizlet. “Topeka Police Department 10 Codes and Signal Codes.” (www.quizlet.com/838961325/topeka-police-department-10-codes-and-signal-codes-flash-cards)
3. Facebook. “Topeka Police Scanner Group.” (www.facebook.com/groups/topekapolicescanner.2)
4. Topeka Capital-Journal. “CJOnline Forums Archive.” (Note: Forum content has been deleted; archival references may be limited.) (The Topeka Capital-Journal: Local News, Politics & Sports in Topeka, KS)
5. Morris Communications. Corporate Information. (www.morris.com)
6. U.S. Department of Justice. “January 6 Capitol Breach Cases.” (www.justice.gov/usao-dc/capitol-breach-cases)

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Chrome Tuna

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https://chrometuna.com

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