FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 10, 2018
Augusta - The administrators of the official "Paul LePage, Maine's Governor" Facebook page have agreed to unblock two women who were banned from the page and to stop blocking people based on their veiwpoint for the remainder of Gov. LePage's time in office, in response to a lawsuit brought by the ACLU of Maine.
The ACLU of Maine filed the suit in August 2017, on behalf of two Maine women who had their comments deleted and have been blocked from further commenting on the page. The LePage administration filed a motion to dismiss the case, but a federal judge ruled in August that the case could go forward.
The settlement, reached on Friday, brings the case to a close.
The following can be attributed to Emma Bond, staff attorney with the ACLU of Maine:
"This settlement is another step toward protecting free speech in the digital age. Now, the administrators of the official 'Paul Lepage, Maine's Governor' Facebook page will stop blocking our clients and others based on their viewpoints. We hope every politician in Maine will recognize the importance of free and open dialogue on the internet and do the same."
Individuals who believe they were blocked by the "Paul LePage, Maine's Governor" page based on their viewpoint should email their Facebook username to facebookcase@aclumaine.org.
More information about the case, including the settlement, can be found here: https://www.aclumaine.org/en/cases/leuthy-et-al-v-lepage
