On July 25, U.S. District Court Judge James Cacheris, a Reagan appointee, ruled that public officials who set up a Facebook page for discussion of public policy, and who invite public comments, can’t single out particular individuals and bar them from commenting. The page was set up by Phyllis Randall, Chair of the Loudon County, Virginia, Board of Supervisors. Davison v Loudon County Board of Supervisors, e.d. Virginia, 1:16cv-932. Here is the opinion.

The County argued that it doesn’t pay for the Facebook page. But the name of the page is “Chair Phyllis Randall”. The ruling finds that web page still is intrinsically a government-related form of communication, so the free speech provision of the First Amendment applies. Thanks to the Center for Competitive Politics for this news.