ACLU-Milwaukee Chapter Facebook Page Censors News Articles In Contrary To Exercising Free Speech?

The ACLU-Milwaukee Chapter's Facebook administrators censored news articles in their page.

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

March 1, 2018

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Wednesday, Molly Collins, an administrator for the ACLU-Milwaukee Chapter Facebook (FB) page confirmed that she removed (censored) certain posted news articles because "We are non-partisan and cannot have posts endorsing or attacking candidates running for office...I also deleted posts inviting people to candidate fundraisers." ACLU stands for American Civil Liberties Union, a non-profit, non-partisan, private organization.

Collins admitted and confirmed that she removed news articles including "Affidavits Filed With Milwaukee County Ethics Board Claiming Supervisor Peggy West Didn't Personally Circulated Some Nominations Papers To Get On Election Ballot" from the FB page after H. Nelson Goodson who posted the article on the ACLU-Milwaukee Chapter FB page questioned the removal and later found that West had made an inquiry in her FB account on how to get in contact with the administrators of the ACLU-Milwaukee Facebook page. Megan O'Halloran had also posted West's statement on a comment thread concerning an earlier posted article "Multiple Signed Affidavits Alleged Milwaukee County Supervisor Peggy West Didn't Circulate Some Nomination Papers To Get On Election Ballot" by Goodson. It seems that O'Halloran had also tagged Emilio De Torre in West's inquiry in trying to contact the ACLU FB administrators. 

Emilio De Torre, another administrator of the ACLU-Milwaukee Chapter FB page confirmed other posts including some news articles posted by Goodson were also removed claiming they "were partisan." Goodson asked De Torre to explain why were the news articles partisan and if news articles are no longer welcome to be posted on the FB page? De Torre did not respond.

However reviewing the FB page, which posts are public, De Torre and other page administrators allow partisan posts by Wisconsin State Representative Jonathan Brostoff (D), partisan posts about gun control, post about Rebecca Dallet for Supreme Court Judge, post about Transgender women suing the State of Alabama and other news articles to be shared in the ACLU-Milwaukee Chapter page by followers, but it seems that news articles about Supervisor West are not allowed.

The reasoning provided by De Torre and Collins doesn't reflect what is shared and posted today on the FB page they administrate.

Here's the posted comments on the ACLU-Milwaukee Chapter page that led to the discovery of an alleged censorship of certain news articles and posts in the FB page.

H. Nelson Goodson, posted the following comment on the ACLU-Milwaukee Chapter Facebook page after noticing several news articles that were removed, "Unfortunately, as much as I respect the ACLU-Milwaukee stand up and fight for free speech. It seems that the administration in this Facebook page seems to lack the same integrity and does an injustice to its followers by removing several news articles posted about a complaint filed against Milwaukee County Supervisor Peggy West by challenger Sylvia Ortiz-Velez that according to multiple affidavits filed with the Milwaukee County Ethics Board alleged she did not circulate some nomination papers as she claimed to get on the April 3rd ballot. Shame on the administrator who decided to remove posts and seems to be using double standards to avoid debate or free speech on this FB page. But what can people expect?

Molly Collins, an administrator for the ACLU-Milwaukee Chapter admitted that she removed the news articles, "I have deleted several posts today that are outside our scope. We are non-partisan and cannot have posts endorsing or attacking candidates running for office...I also deleted posts inviting people to candidate fundraisers.  We do not allow those sorts of posts here, as it states in the page info... You can speak freely about electoral politics and encourage people to vote for or against a candidate in other forums. The ACLU cannot look like we're endorsing or opposing a candidate for elected office..."

Charvonne Carlson, another administrator at the ACLU-Milwaukee Chapter posted the following comments as well, "We do not take sides. While it maybe a news article it makes allegations against a elected official, in which we have no affiliation with or is in alignment with what the ACLU scope is."

H. Nelson Goodson posted, "Did Milwaukee County Supervisor Peggy West have any influence in convincing ACLU-Milwaukee Chapter Facebook administrators in removing news articles concerning a complaint filed with the Milwaukee County Ethics Board? It seems that she was successful in contacting the administrators. Smh" Goodson also included a photo of West's Facebook earlier inquiry to contact the ACLU-Milwaukee Chapter administrators.

Emilio De Torre, another administrador from the the ACLU-Milwaukee Chapter FB page responded as well, "You're funny. We took down numerous posts that appeared partisan today. Plus...as you can see from your own screenshots....we took them down hours before that message.  We also removed two other posts from you that were partisan and NOT related to the county supervisor race, as well as two other posts not made by you."

H. Nelson Goodson responded to De Torre, "Lol, West's inquiry about contacting your FB administrators was made much earlier. 

The news articles posted by me were not pertisan, but news about certain rights every individual has to run for public office including signers for nomination papers to know who they are signing for to get on a ballot. Just news and breaking news, but I guess you guys are censoring free speech on this page. Smh. You should post that news articles are not welcome on these page. Lol"

H. Nelson Goodson then asked De Torre, "So, you are confirming no more news articles are welcome to be posted on this FB page?"

Emilio De Torre posted, "Yeah....I'm gonna cap my 14 hour work day by digging for that immediately!!  I just got home and started responding to this only because we're friends. I'm actually heading to bed. My assessment of the time and the events is accurate.  Your allegations of "collusion" are insulting and misguided, and it seems you're intentionally making incorrect assumptions of non-existent "confirmations".  You're so off track I can only guess that you're joking."

H. Nelson Goodson posted, "You are assuming and not explaining why you believe the news articles I posted in this FB page are partisan including the latest one that was deleted and you haven't confirmed yet, if news articles are no longer welcome on this page.
Megan O'Holloran posted West's statement on the thread of the first news article about West and she later tagged you and others concerning West's inquiry as well."

Editor's note: 

The removal of certain news articles and not all accross the board, which are being shared in the ACLU-Milwaukee Chapter FB page, a private organization certainly indicates a disservice to its members and FB followers. 

Given that it is a private organization, it  certainly seems that some representatives don't follow what they preach and have litigated to protect civil liberties and civil rights.