ACLU contacts Pittsburgh councilwoman about her Facebook page

PITTSBURGH — The American Civil Liberties Union has plans to sue Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Darlene Harris over how she uses social media.

Christopher MacTaggart can’t see councilwoman Harris’ Facebook page after she blocked him for his comment on a post.

It shows her car on the sidewalk in the park, but didn't answer why she drove on sidewalk to get there.

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She later wrote this on her page saying she was on official city business adding, quote “If anyone has an issue with me in the future…I invite you to contact me directly so that we can have a conversation.”

But the next comment Mactaggart wrote, got him in hot water.

“There was one person who took opportunity to make a gay joke about Mayor Peduto and councilwoman Harris liked that comment,” Mactaggart said. “I said something like she had the time to like a homophobic joke about our mayor but not like why are u driving on the sidewalk.”

The ACLU sent harris a letter today, saying quote “blocking people from your social media because they disagree with you or criticize you is censorship that violates the First Amendment.”

They argue she uses the page as a way to put out information, like a post from August about the boil water advisory in the district.

Channel 11 went to Mayor Bill Peduto about the letter. He says he’s blocked one person for bad language.

“It's a brave new world when it comes to social media, these rules will be figured out,” Peduot said.

Mactaggart said she needs to re-think how she handles social media.

“You can't block certain people cause you disagree with them,” he said.

Harris said she is going to meet with her attorney’s to discuss the letter and formulate a plan.

In the past, the councilwoman said this was Harassment, and believes she’s being targeted for next election in 2019.

Cox Media Group