Three Georgia residents have filed a lawsuit against Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens, accusing him of infringing on their free speech rights by censoring their critical opinions on Facebook. The legal action, filed in U.S. District Court, includes David Cavender, a Republican who ran against Owens for the sheriff position in the recent election.
The lawsuit claims that Sheriff Owens silenced individuals who were publicly criticizing his performance following a viral incident where he called deputies to a Burger King over a botched order. The plaintiffs had been vocal in their criticism of Owens, particularly regarding the Burger King incident and other matters.
In the incident that sparked the controversy, Owens dispatched three deputies to a Burger King in Mableton after a dispute over an order. A video of Owens requesting the owner's name went viral, leading to increased scrutiny of his actions.
Following the incident, Owens allegedly implemented strict restrictions on who could post comments on the Cobb County Sheriff Office's Facebook page. The lawsuit alleges that these restrictions were imposed to prevent critical viewpoints from being expressed, with some posts made by the plaintiffs being deleted or hidden by the Sheriff's Office.
The Sheriff's Office later announced that it had turned off the comments feature on its social media channels to maintain a 'safe and respectful space.' The lawsuit seeks a declaration that Owens' actions constitute viewpoint-based restrictions in violation of the First Amendment, as well as a prohibition on his alleged practice of retaliatory censorship.
The plaintiffs are also seeking to prevent Owens from deleting comments, blocking posters, or restricting commenters based on their relationship with the Sheriff's Office. The lawsuit highlights the importance of upholding free speech rights and preventing government officials from censoring dissenting opinions.
