INDIANAPOLIS – The ACLU of Indiana filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday, Feb. 12, against Wayne County, Indiana, and the Wayne County Commissioners in their official capacities after a Wayne County resident was blocked from the Commissioners’ official Facebook page.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Dillon Pitcher, alleges the Commissioners’ actions violate the First Amendment. According to the complaint, the Commissioners operate a Facebook page that identifies itself as the official page of a government organization and is used to share county information relevant to residents. Pitcher, a Wayne County resident who is extremely active in his community and currently serves as Chief Deputy Coroner, alleges the Commissioners blocked from the page on or about Jan. 9, 2026, preventing him from viewing posts or leaving comments. The complaint also alleges the block deleted his prior comments on the page.
Pitcher contacted the Commissioners in writing on Jan. 13, 2026, asking them to unblock him. As of the filing of the lawsuit, he has not received a response.
“Government leaders don’t get to turn an official Facebook page into a filtered feed where only approved voices get to participate,” said Joshua Bleisch, staff attorney, ACLU of Indiana. “Blocking a constituent cuts them off from updates and public discussion, and officials can’t do that simply because they don’t like who is speaking or what they might say.”
This case is the latest in the ACLU of Indiana’s ongoing effort to stop unconstitutional social media censorship by governmental officials.
The complaint can be found here.
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