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Centralia resident says Facebook post falsely claimed he was banned from city council; commissioner disputes characterization
Summary
Ray Chapman Wilson told the Lewis County commissioners that a post on Commissioner Sean Swope's Facebook page falsely stated he had been banned from speaking at Centralia City Council meetings; Swope replied that he had been told the mayor had restricted Wilson for campaigning during public comment.
Ray Chapman Wilson, a Centralia resident, used the Lewis County Board of County Commissioners' public comment period on Oct. 28 to say a post on Commissioner Sean Swope's Facebook page falsely claimed Wilson had been banned from speaking at Centralia City Council meetings.
"That statement is false," Wilson said, reading from the Facebook post and telling the commissioners the post misled the public. He praised the board's recent acceptance of about $6 million in aid for county residents and said elected officials should maintain respectful conduct. "Calling other people names and slandering them is wrong," he said.
Commissioner Sean Swope responded during the meeting. He said he had been told by the mayor of Centralia that Wilson had been kept from speaking because Wilson had been campaigning during the public comment period. Swope said the Facebook post did not include the full quote from his comment.
No further public testimony was offered on the exchange. The commissioners did not take formal action regarding the social media dispute during the meeting.
The exchange took place during the public comment portion of the Oct. 28 Lewis County commissioners meeting.
