O'Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier

Welcome to Supreme Court Opinions. In this episode, you’ll hear the Court’s opinion in O'Connor-Ratcliff v Garnier.

In this case, the court considered this issue: Does a public official engage in state action subject to the First Amendment by blocking an individual from the official’s personal social media account, which the official uses to communicate about job-related matters with the public?

The case was decided on March 15, 2024. 

The Supreme Court held that the Ninth Circuit’s judgment—that 42 U-S-C § 1983’s state-action requirement was satisfied because of the “close nexus” between petitioners’ social media pages and their positions as public officials—is vacated, and the case is remanded in light of Lindke v Freed.

The opinion is presented here in its entirety, but with citations omitted. If you appreciate this episode, please subscribe. Thank you.