Felicia Nevins, 26, is trying to have a baby via in vitro fertilization. Nevins was worried a thermos containing sperm and dry ice for her IVF treatment had exploded, which could be dangerous. She did not tell her family that she was trying to have a baby, but after she called the Sheriff’s office, suddenly everyone knew.
Nevins believed the thermos of semen could have exploded
The story began Wednesday when the 26-year-old forgot to remove the rubber o-ring from the thermos of semen, which could lead to the container exploding. She phoned the sheriff’s normal phone line to tell them about the incident.
According to Nevins, a deputy and several firefighters arrived at her home. They took the thermos away with them and managed to open it safely. At the time, she said the officers were kind to her and didn’t let any of her neighbors know what was going on. The person she spoke to at the Sheriff’s office had been told it was a private matter, and it looked like he had treated it that way.
Pasco Sheriff’s Office makes a Facebook post about the Florida woman
However, that all changed after the Pasco Sheriff’s Office posted the story about her call on Facebook, using a stock image of a woman with a disgusted expression, along with a short explanation of the call they had received.
While they didn’t use the Florida woman's name in the post, Nevins states that there were enough details listed – including her location, age and the time of the incident – for reporters to figure out who she was by performing a search of the public records.
Oh, #Florida! Woman calls cops b/c she fears thermos of semen will explode, then cops post about her on social media https://t.co/Zu89KnD0fV
— Craig Pittman (@craigtimes) May 21, 2017
The subject of her call to the sheriff's was very controversial and the Facebook post was shared at least 200 times by Friday. Nevins said a television news crew turned up on her doorstep, pointing a camera into her face.
She said she did talk to the news crew, but would not identify herself. Nevins told the Tampa Bay Times that she really didn’t want any of the attention she was receiving.
Normal social media strategy for the Pasco Sheriff’s Office
According to a report by the New York Daily News, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office said that the Facebook post about the incident was part of their normal social media strategy.
Sheriff Chris Nocco said in a statement that they are a “very open agency” and like to let the public know what their officers see and do during calls. He went on to say that this particular call was unique, and had to also include the fire department, as it was a potentially dangerous situation. Nocco did add that they are grateful that no damage was done in the incident.
The Sheriff’s office later went on to defend their actions relating to Nevins' case, by stressing that they never release people’s names or any information that could identify them.
Embarrassed by the Facebook post and its comments
However, Nevins went on to say that the only reason she was prepared to speak to the Tampa Bay Times on Friday was because her name was already known.
She was upset to see that the Facebook post was still public on Friday, but a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office reportedly said they never delete posts or comments on social media.
She was further upset to see that some of the comments to the post were either unkind or demeaning. One person said if Nevins cannot follow directions, maybe she shouldn’t be trying to have a baby, while others made fun of her. However, other people did side with Nevins, commenting that the post should be deleted. Nevins concluded by saying that all she is trying to do is become a mother, but that she is being “berated for it.”
