Oyster Bay Supervisor Accused Of Silencing Critics; Town Responds

OYSTER BAY, NY — Oyster Bay officials are disputing accusations that Joseph Saladino, the town supervisor, has silenced critics on social media. In a letter sent to Saladino this week and obtained by Patch, the New York Civil Liberties Union said it received reports that Saladino repeatedly hid Facebook comments and even blocked critics on the platform. Newsday first reported on the letter.

The civil liberties group said the moves represented a "suppression of speech" in a public forum, violating the First Amendment. The group also claimed Saladino was attacking the "core values" of democracy.

"Like a virtual town hall, your page has become an important avenue for speech by, to, and about you in your official capacity as the Supervisor of the Town of Oyster Bay," the letter said.

Courts have long ruled that the First Amendment protects freedom of speech in public forums, and courts across the country have confirmed those protections extend to social media too, the group said.

"As in any other public forum, you cannot silence speech on your Facebook page because you object to the viewpoints expressed," the letter stated. "Political opinions — even those you profoundly dislike — lie at the heart of the First Amendment's protections."

The town fired back in a statement to Patch on Friday, saying the civil liberties group never talked to the administration before sending the letter, and didn't bother to learn any of the facts.

"No other administration has done more community outreach on social media," said town spokesman Brian Nevin. "We are committed to having an open and healthy dialogue about our success in Oyster Bay and no one is excluded from expressing their viewpoint."

The town stressed that no one was banned from the page and no comments were deleted. Anyone suggesting otherwise either deleted their own comment or lied to "sensationalize a story" just two months before Election Day, Nevin said.

In response, Antony Gemmell, staff attorney at the civil liberties group who signed the original letter, said the law is clear regarding the reports.

"Whether on- or offline, Supervisor Saladino and the Town of Oyster Bay must respect the constitutional rights of their constituents to speak up and speak out in public forums," he said.