WA State Lawmaker Sued for Banning 2 Constituents From Facebook Page

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. (Tacoma News Tribune, October 27, 2018)
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An official government page probably can't ban individuals from commenting on the page based on the content of what they say. But where do we draw the line?

What if a government employee went to others in the agency and organized a ban or blocking of an individual from personal Facebook pages? Could this be seen as creating a hostile work environment? Shouldn't people be able to "friend" or block whomever they wish?

What about a private business? Can a business ban comments on its page? Does it matter why the person was banned / blocked? What if the business only banned people based on race? Religion? Political viewpoints? Sexual orientation? Shouldn't a private business be able to run its publicly viewable information anyway it chooses?

And what about our political representatives? Don't they get some control over what is said on the public pages they run?

Operating in Hostile and Non-Permissive Environments:
A Survival and Resource Guide for Those Who Go in Harm’s Way

 

Military personnel deployed to a combat area, their supporting contractors overseas, government civilian employees overseas, non-government organizations (NGOs), journalists working on international stories, businesses attempting to establish a foothold in developing countries, and individual travelers to remote areas of the world can all find themselves in hostile and non-permissive environments. This guide covers a broad range of subjects that are intended to aid individuals, living and working in dangerous areas, in being safer in their daily lives and in being better able to protect themselves and survive in case of an emergency, disaster, or hostile action.