SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — First President Donald Trump. Then state Sen. Stace Nelson. Now, City Councilor Theresa Stehly.
All three politicians at different levels of government have either been sued over or accused of blocking people from their social media accounts.
On the Facebook group “Sioux Falls Poltics,” Stehly has been accused of blocking people she doesn’t agree with from her Facebook page.
Eric McDonald posted to the group:
- “Should our local politicians be allowed to block people they don’t like from FB? More specifically, should our city council members who use their FB account as one of their platforms be allowed to block other FB users? A specific council member that is active on this foum has blocked other FB user(s) from seeing their post, all posts, which then does not allow the blocked FB user to see how the city council member is portraying specific items within the City.”
He then went on to note that Stehly had blocked a Facebook user and posted a purported screenshot as proof.
In the comments, Stehly said, “Kimberly Jacobson..there have been vulgar and disrespectful individuals.”
Stehly isn’t responding directly to the accusations, but does say that she appreciates her Facebook friends who express opinions without being disrespectful, belittling and attacking.
KELO.com News has requested a comment from Stehly but as of late afternoon today she had not responded.
Tuesday, a USD law student filed a First Amendment civil rights case in federal court in Sioux Falls against Nelson for blocking him from Nelson’s “official” Facebook page. Like Stehly, Nelson has said he doesn’t want to put up with trolls and others who just want to argue with him.
- RELATED COVERAGE: Trump challenges court ruling barring him from blocking Twitter users
This summer, a federal appeals court ruled that President Trump could not block people from his Twitter account. The court said it was a “public forum” where all could participate. In that case, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled:
- “This debate, as uncomfortable and as unpleasant as it frequently may be, is nonetheless a good thing,” the judge wrote. “In resolving this appeal, we remind the litigants and the public that if the First Amendment means anything, it means that the best response to disfavored speech on matters of public concern is more speech, not less.”
City Councilor Greg Neitzert posted in the politics forum that he learned from the result of that case.
- “I created a Greg City Council page when I learned about that case so you do not even have to be friends with me to see what I post Council public figure related. I attempt to keep my personal page politics-free, but again I have no one blocked and any assertion that I blocked anyone is false.”
Also in the string of comments in reaction to the post, Stehly said she had met with the City Attorney “and he is looking into it.”
