DONATE
The ACLU of Indiana filed the suit Thursday.
Becca CostelloThe American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana is suing an Indiana sheriff over claims he silenced critics on a government-run Facebook page.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court, accuses Henry County Sheriff John Sproles of blocking accounts and deleting critical comments.
Read more: Lawsuit claims Indiana jail illegally restricts access to prison ministry
The suit claims these actions represent “viewpoint-based discrimination” and violate the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The ACLU of Indiana filed the suit on behalf of a podcaster named Kristopher Bilbrey whose comments were deleted from the sheriff’s page.
“The interactive portion of a public official’s Facebook page is considered a public forum, thus public officials cannot block constituents from commenting because of the opinions they hold,” ACLU senior attorney Gavin M. Rose said in a statement. “Sheriff Sproles’s action of silencing a citizen on Facebook who is critical of his positions is unconstitutional.”
In an email Friday, Sproles said he was unaware of the lawsuit.
Support WFYI. We can't do it without you.