The Tulane University First Amendment Law Clinic is suing Louisiana Sen. Katrina Jackson on behalf of Maya Detiege, who was blocked from Jackson’s Twitter account due to her critical tweets about the senator.
Court filings show that Detiege is demanding that Jackson reinstate the abortion rights supporter’s access to her Twitter account and is ordering that the senator pays for her legal fees.
The clash between the two began last June when Detiege opposed a tweet in which Jackson congratulated her team for authoring Louisiana Senate Bill 342, a law that would outlaw almost all abortions in the state.
According to a press release from the First Amendment Law Clinic obtained by FOX 8 Live, Jackson attempted to refract an argument a user tweeted against the legislation by stressing that taxpayer dollars should not be used to fight sex trafficking but instead be used in support of pregnancy centers.
Detiege then chimed into the conversation criticizing Jackson’s stance on the matter, to which Jackson tweeted back, “did you advocate for more?”
Detiege then responded to Jackson stating that if her job serving on a Senate seat is to back such funding then the senator is woefully wrong. She then wished that Jackson would lose the next election.
“Twitter is the modern version of the public square, the very space our founders held sacred under the First Amendment for the free exchange of differing viewpoints,” said Clinic Director Katie Schwartzmann in the press release. “As an elected official, Senator Jackson should protect that space, encourage debate, and be ready to defend her stances. Shutting down dissenting voices is an attack on basic democratic values.”
Schwartzmann further added that she hopes the lawsuit encourages discussion about the rights of citizens under the First Amendment and added that she admonishes public officials who hide from critics on social media.
“Debate and dialogue are what Jackson signed up for by running for office,” Schwartzmann said. “She owes it to our democracy not to hinder the free exchange of ideas – including ones she disagrees with.”
The lawsuit was filed in the federal court in the Western District of Louisiana on Feb. 9 and currently awaits trial.
