No. 22-324October Term 2023Decided Mar 15, 2024
O'Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier
This case concerns whether public officials violate the First Amendment when they block individuals from their personal social media accounts that are used to communicate with the public about official business.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Mar 15, 2024
- What it's about
This case concerns whether public officials violate the First Amendment when they block individuals from their personal social media accounts that are used to communicate with the public about official business. The Supreme Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case to be reconsidered under the new test established in the related case Lindke v. Freed.
Question presented
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?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit / Decision released Mar 15, 2024
- Area
First Amendment
Documents
Related cases




Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Mar 30, 2026
- Method
- Methodology
Primary materials8
Supreme Court docket 22-324
docket | Mar 30, 2026
Primary case document
Supreme Court document | Mar 30, 2026
CourtListener docket record
docket | Mar 30, 2026
Questions Presented
brief | Mar 8, 2026
O'Connor-Ratcliff
opinion | Mar 15, 2024
opinion
opinion | Mar 15, 2024
Opinion
opinion | Mar 15, 2024
Petition
brief | Oct 4, 2022