Kearney Schools Agree to Protect Social Media Speech

The district agreed to bar viewpoint-based restrictions on its official accounts after a parent was blocked from its Facebook page.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Administration

Brass public-meeting bell resting on a wooden podium in an empty civic hall with tall windows and soft daylight. — Kearney School District agreed Tuesday to bar viewpoint-based restrictions on its official social media accounts after blocking parent Annie Palmer from its Facebook page. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Kearney School District agreed not to restrict access to its social media accounts based on viewpoint and to begin developing a First Amendment policy. The commitment followed a demand letter from the Liberty Justice Center on behalf of parent Annie Palmer, who was blocked from the district's Facebook page.

Why it matters

Public school social media pages are often treated as official public forums, so blocking users over their views raises First Amendment concerns for residents in the Kansas City area. The agreement sets a written standard for how the district will handle public comment going forward.

Palmer was blocked after reacting with a thumbs-down and commenting on an April 16 post announcing a new principal, and public records indicate the restriction was not based on district policy. The district has not publicly detailed how it will enforce the new commitments.

The players

Kearney School District

The Kansas City-area public school district whose official Facebook page restricted Palmer and which agreed to the new social media commitments.

Liberty Justice Center

A nonprofit public-interest law firm that litigates constitutional rights cases and sent the demand letter on Palmer's behalf.

Dr. Emily Miller

The superintendent of Kearney School District who received the demand letter from the Liberty Justice Center.

The details

The district deleted Palmer's comments and blocked her from its official Facebook page without notice or explanation. Records show the restriction was imposed because the newly hired principal was upset by her reaction, not because of any written policy.

- April 16: District posts announcement of new principal; Palmer reacts and comments, then is blocked
- Oct. 7: Liberty Justice Center sends demand letter to Superintendent Dr. Emily Miller
- Nov. 4: District agrees to First Amendment safeguards

Administration Context

Courts have increasingly treated government officials' social media pages as public forums, a line of First Amendment reasoning this agreement applies to a school district. The Liberty Justice Center has sent similar warning letters to attorneys general in five states this year.

Parents and residents who follow Kearney School District's Facebook page can now expect their comments not to be removed or blocked based on viewpoint under the written commitment. Families who want to weigh in on district matters have a clearer standard for public participation online.

The takeaway

Public officials' social media pages can function as public forums, so residents who disagree with school leaders still have a right to comment. Parents who are blocked from a district page can ask the district in writing for the policy that justifies the restriction.