Lawmaker sued for banning 2 constituents from Facebook page
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A Washington state lawmaker has been sued by two constituents who argue their First Amendment rights are being violated because they've been banned from commenting on the state lawmaker's Facebook page.
The suit against Rep. Jim Walsh, filed in U.S. District Court in Tacoma on Wednesday, says the Aberdeen Republican unlawfully censored Jeff Nichols and Gilbert Myers when he banned them from his "politician" page on the social media site.
"By banning access to this forum and deleting comments based on the viewpoint of the speaker, Representative Walsh has violated plaintiffs' right to free expression, to petition the government for a redress of wrongs and grievances, and to hear the banned speech that would have otherwise been engaged in, distorting the expressive forum," the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction requiring Walsh to restore the posting privileges of Nichols and Myers, as well as anyone else banned for their viewpoints, and seeks "nominal damages and compensatory damages" as well as attorney fees.
Read more: https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2018/10/26/lawmaker-sued-banning-2-constituents-facebook-page/1776690002/
