A meme posted online after a dispute on the LBK Foodies private group page.
A private Facebook group in Lubbock with more than 88,000 members suffered a “hostile takeover” over the weekend when one of the admins took exclusive control over the page. Things have since returned to normal.
The LBK Foodies page is normally a place to share recipes, restaurant recommendations or “anything food.” But on Monday, it became – as one member put it – “our Alamo,” and “I will tell my grandchildren about this!”
Another member, Laurie West Martinez, said, “This has been the biggest cyber food fight ever.”
Numerous users pointed a finger at Tracy Cole who told LubbockLights.com she did not wish to comment beyond the statements she already posted online.
Member Elijah James Farley told the story this way in a comment: “It was a great 24 hours. First all the admins were kicked off except Tracy. Then the other admins and the LBK Foodies team pushed back. Then she made a post about taking LBK in a new direction. Then she froze Lubbock Foodies from being used, then quit LBK Foodies and restored the admins in just 24 hours.”
Alicia M Robison wrote, “When is the potluck? Cause baby the community came together.”
Another user posted simply, “We’re back baby!”
So, what happened?
About a week before the page was taken over by a single administrator, Cole posted a message online that was screen-captured and reposted to the group.
In it, Cole, who listed herself online as an author and digital creator, said she was doing certain things to earn money from Meta, the parent company of Facebook. She spoke of posting original content and not copying something that already went viral.
According to various users, she removed all the other admins from the page and said, “The group will move forward to align with the vision set by the original creator. It’s time to honor that direction. Moving forward, all admins and moderators will be held to the same expectations and FB community standards as the group members. Thank you for your continued support.”
At one point, members got a message saying, “An admin archived LBK Foodies. You won’t be able to post, react or comment in this group.”
By early evening on Monday, the page was restored. Cole was no longer listed as administrator, and six people, including Wes Wicker, were in charge of the page.
Wicker, owner of Big Wick’s, made a brief statement to LubbockLights.com.
“A deal was negotiated and brokered by a third-party individual,” Wicker said of negotiations that happened behind the scenes. “I am very happy with how things worked out, and ready to move forward. I appreciate Tracy’s willingness and cooperation to reach an agreement. I do not wish to discuss those matters any further.”
“Previous admins & mods have been reinstated, and several more have been added,” Wicker said.
“Something I have wanted to do for a long time is add more women, and people from all walks of life. I want Foodies to feel like everyone is represented and can embrace each other’s culture through food,” Wicker said to LubbockLights.com. “We have some fun events planned for LBK Foodies and look forward to sharing more details with members soon.”
Wicker, on his own Facebook page, encouraged anyone who left or got banned to rejoin.
Cole’s point of view
In her online swan song, Cole said, “Over the past three years, a lot happened behind the scenes in LBK Foodies. Miscommunication, misunderstandings, and distance made it difficult to bridge the gaps.”
“By the time the opportunity came to address things, the disconnect was already too deep. I’ve always believed in the potential of LBK Foodies. It could have been something truly great. But the last 24 hours opened my eyes to something important: it’s no longer worth it for me,” Cole wrote on Monday.
There seemed to be a hint at future plans, but she did not give specifics.
“One thing is true— I AM up to something. But first, I need to take care of my goulash,” Cole wrote.
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