News & Press Coverage

Bangor superintendent blocked BDN reporter on Twitter after critical news coverage

Bangor Daily News
December 4, 2019

In an apparent violation of the First Amendment, Bangor schools superintendent Betsy Webb temporarily blocked a journalist on Twitter following a report that news of a student suicide was announced over the loudspeaker at Bangor High School. This comes a year after federal judge Naomi Reice Buchwald ruled that it was unconstitutional for President Trump to block critics on social media because the sites represent a public forum.

An Excerpt

“A government official cannot selectively block the news media from their Twitter account where they’re using the Twitter account to make official announcements and conduct public business,” said Sigmund Schutz, a Portland-based lawyer.