Appeals court denies activist claim his free speech was denied by Stony Point

A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling in favor of the town of Stony Point, New York, in a case involving local activist George Potanovic.

Potanovic claimed his free speech and public access rights were violated when the public comment portion of town board meetings was excluded from a live broadcast of the meetings on the town's Facebook page.

The court ruled that it sees no restriction on Potanovic's speech in the town's decision to create a "limited public forum" for in-person speakers and listeners only.

Potanovic expressed disappointment with the ruling and is considering his legal options. He maintains that the town's decision to exclude public comments from the Facebook live stream restricts his ability to participate in the public discourse.

Town Supervisor Jim Monaghan called the lawsuit "a waste of time and money," asserting that the town's decision to limit the Facebook live stream to in-person participation was justified.