<p style="font-weight: 400;">The U.S. Supreme Court will <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-supreme-court-decide-if-public-officials-can-block-critics-social-media-2023-04-24/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">consider</a> whether public officials can block criticism of them on social media.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">The court is examining two cases that had vastly different outcomes. In one, <em>Garnier v. Poway Unified Sch. Dist</em>., Christopher and Kimberly Garnier — who had three children in the school district — sued Michelle O&#8217;Connor-Ratcliff and T.J. Zane, who were members of the Poway School board and had blocked posts critical of them on social media. A California federal judge ruled for the couple and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the ruling last July.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">The second case involved Port Huron, Michigan resident Kevin Lindke, who was blocked by City Manager James Freed from his public Facebook page. Lindke sued Freed in federal court, but a federal judge ruled for Freed in 2021. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the ruling last July.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">After O&#8217;Connor-Ratcliff and Zane were elected, they changed their public Facebook pages to reflect their board positions. O&#8217;Connor-Ratcliff “added a “Political Info” section showing her “Current Office” as “Board of Education President, Poway Unified School District.” Her “About” section identified her as a “Government Official.” Zane changed his Facebook page to identify his position as a “Poway Unified School District Trustee” and in the “About” section he also identified himself as a “Government Official.”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">O&#8217;Connor-Ratcliff and Zane claimed that the Garniers’ posts disrupted readers from seeing their own posts. California District Judge Thomas J. Whelan <a href="https://casetext.com/case/garnier-v-poway-unified-sch-dist-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in 2019 that “if the Garniers’ comments did not disrupt the original posts, it is reasonable to infer that MOR and Zane’s claimed justification for blocking the Garniers was a pretext and that they actually blocked the Garniers because of the content of their comments.”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">In May 2018, a federal judge <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/05/23/trump-cannot-block-twitter-users-for-their-political-views-court-rules/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> that former President Trump&#8217;s decision to block Twitter users critical of him violated the First Amendment because Twitter was a public forum. “&#8221;No government official — including the President — is above the law,” the judge wrote. A federal appeals court <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/09/us/politics/trump-twitter-first-amendment.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">upheld the decision</a> in 2019; Judge Barrington D. Parker wrote that the First Amendment bars officials using social media accounts for government purposes from excluding people from an “otherwise open online dialogue” because the official found their comments objectionable.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“This debate, as uncomfortable and as unpleasant as it frequently may be, is nonetheless a good thing,” Parker wrote. “In resolving this appeal, we remind the litigants and the public that if the First Amendment means anything, it means that the best response to disfavored speech on matters of public concern is more speech, not less.”</p>

<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><div data-widget-host="revcontent" data-pub-id="165152" data-widget-id="290588"></div><script src="https://delivery.revcontent.com/165152/290588/widget.js"></script>

SCOTUS To Consider Whether Public Officials Can Block Criticism On Social Media

CONTINUE READING

Ultimate Betrayal: NY Jewish Dem Grovels To Anti-Israel Radicals To Buy An Election

What Happens When Your Therapist, Friend, And Ego Booster Become The Same Thing

Jeff Bezos Humiliates NYC’s Socialist Mayor

Talk Trash, Get Smashed: Never Write Checks Your Fastball Can’t Cash

Community Mourns Veteran Turned Civic Leader Killed In Violent Confrontation

Democrat Tries Telling Trump What He Can Say And Can’t Say

News

Donald Trump

Social Media

Supreme Court

U.S.

A video goes viral showing a baby being refused his mother by two gay "dads". This is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will have an important discussion today about surrogacy. 

Hour 1

The Matt Walsh Show

Ep. 1765 - This Video Is One Of The Worst Things I've Seen In A Long Time 

The Strait of Hormuz officially opens for business (kind of), the Pope makes “shocking” comments on immigration, and President Trump promises UFO disclosure at TPUSA. 


The Michael Knowles Show

Ep. 1956 -  Pope Leo's "SHOCKING" Immigration Comments EXPLAINED

A false miscreed has corrupted our leadership class.


The Andrew Klavan Show

Ep. 1275 - Dumb, Dumber and Progressive

President Trump announces a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, a murder-suicide involving former Democratic Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shakes Virginia, and France and Britain hold a conference to secure the Strait of Hormuz – after the Iranian conflict ends. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.

- - -

Ep. 2738

- - -

Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3

- - -

Today's Sponsors:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.

Pocket Hose - Text MORNING to 64000 to get a FREE pocket pivot and their 10-pattern sprayer with the purchase of ANY size Copper Head hose. Message and data rates may apply.

Morning Wire

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26 [Member Exclusive]

A ceasefire goes into effect between Israel and Lebanon, a tragic murder-suicide rocks Virginia, and Dairy Queen deploys AI in the drive-thru. Get the facts first with Evening Wire.
- - -
Ep. 2737
- - -
Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 
- - -
Today’s Sponsor:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text “WIRE” to 83848 to learn more.


Evening Wire: Lebanon Ceasefire Begins & Murder-Suicide Rocks VA | 4.16.26

The Pendragon Cycle

Menu

— News —

SCOTUS To Consider Whether Public Officials Can Block Criticism On Social Media