LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) A federal judge has ordered that a lawsuit against an Arkansas lawmaker alleging that he violated the First Amendment rights of an atheist group can proceed to trial.
The national American Atheists group is suing State Sen. Jason Rapert of Conway for violating some atheists’ right to free speech when he blocked their comments from his social media accounts.
U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker said Monday that the plaintiffs have a “fair” chance at winning because Rapert used his Twitter and Facebook accounts in his capacity as a state official.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that the plaintiffs argue Rapert’s posts are a public forum that should be accessible to them. But Rapert says he’s entitled to control his personal accounts as a private citizen under the First Amendment.
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