SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - A constituent is suing Sen. Stace Nelson alleging he violated his constitutional rights by blocking him from commenting on the lawmaker’s public Facebook page.
Jeff Church, of Vermillion, alleges Nelson has denied his right to free speech and his right to petition government by preventing him from participating in a public forum.
The two exchanged comments on the senator’s Facebook page recently after Church was critical of Nelson and his politics. Nelson commented that “slanderous comments and lies” will be deleted and that Church isn’t “entitled to post your lies and propaganda here. You support Socialists. There’s nothing constitutional or conservative about you.”
Church is also requesting a permanent injunction against Nelson that prevents the senator from denying Church, and any other constituents in the same situation, access to the public forum by blocking them or deleting their comments, the Argus Leader reported.
Nelson, who is retiring from the Senate effective next week, calls the lawsuit is “frivolous” and says no one is blocked on his Facebook page or on Twitter.
Nelson has also blocked and deleted comments written by other Facebook users who have made critical comments on the senator’s Facebook page, according to the lawsuit.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.