SAN DIEGO — A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday in a case from the Poway Unified School District that public officials who use social media accounts to discuss official duties can violate free speech rights when they block comments.
The unanimous ruling from a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals centered on the Facebook and Twitter pages of school district trustees T.J. Zane and Michelle O’Connor-Ratcliff. The pair posted information about district business on the pages and in 2017 blocked comment from two parents in the district, Christopher and Michelle Garnier.
The couple filed a federal suit contending the blocking violated their First Amendment rights, and a San Diego judge ruled in their favor in January 2021.
