FRANKLIN, Indiana — Franklin Mayor Steve Barnett is accused of violating a citizen's First Amendment rights in a recently filed lawsuit.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed the suit after Barnett blocked William Reynolds from his Facebook page. According to court documents, this happened on the mayor's personal profile, which operates more like an official government account, the ACLU argues.
"He uses the account to regularly post information about his activities as mayor, about events and other initiatives in the City of Franklin, and about other matters of relevance to his constituents," the lawsuit says.
According to the ACLU, Reynolds was unable to view or comment on the mayor's Facebook page after posting a video in May 2020 of the mayor's participation in a Black Lives Matter rally. In the video, Barnett was carrying a Black Lives Matter sign and leading the crowd in a chant. Reynolds tagged Barnett in the post, but Barnett removed the tag. After Reynolds tagged him again, Barnett blocked him, according to the lawsuit.
"As our democracy moves online, access to online forums is just as important as the ability to attend and petition our elected representatives at a town hall meeting," said Gavin M. Rose, senior staff attorney for the ACLU of Indiana. "When our client was blocked from accessing the Mayor's page, he was also denied the ability to view and comment on official updates and other matters of public concern. The right of Mr. Reynolds to express himself is a fundamental right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, and a public online forum maintained by the Mayor of Franklin is no exception."
Reynolds remained blocked in June 2021 — more than a year after initially posting the video. He is asking the court to require Barnett to unblock him from his Facebook profile.
Barnett's office said it has not been served a lawsuit and would not comment on pending litigation.
"We hope people will reserve judgement until they know the facts," his office said.
According to the lawsuit, Reynolds has since moved out of Indiana due to financial hardship but plans to return to Franklin as soon as possible.
Click here to see the full lawsuit.