The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a lawsuit Thursday, May 7, against Boone County, for blocking Mr. Kevin Dininger after he commented on the County’s Facebook page to indicate that he intended to vote for a challenger for Boone County Commissioner.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Mr. Dininger, alleges that the County’s actions represent viewpoint-based discrimination, in violation of the First Amendment to the Unites States Constitution.
“The First Amendment protects people, who regardless of their views, attempt to hold the government accountable through expression,” said Gavin M. Rose, ACLU of Indiana Senior Attorney. “Boone County’s practice of silencing citizens on Facebook who are critical of the County’s actions is unconstitutional.”
According to the complaint, “Mr. Dininger is concerned about issues of importance to his community and his state as well as about the actions and positions of his elected officials, and frequently shares his opinions and other information about these issues.”
This is one of several social media censorship cases the ACLU of Indiana has filed over the last year in an effort to stop this pattern of unconstitutional behavior.
