Fall River Mayor continues to block Katz on social media

The self-proclaimed journalist and government transparency activist William Katz says that despite his email to Mayor Paul Coogan demanding he be unblocked from the social media accounts of both Coogan and the city of Fall River, he is still blocked from both and he continues to request access to the accounts.

William Katz, who adamantly maintains that is his real name and that he is indeed a real person, was blocked from both official social media accounts last week after what he claims were normal comments asking questions of the administration.

https://fallriverreporter.com/critic-of-mayor-coogan-threatens-to-sue-for-being-blocked-on-facebook/

“Mayor Coogan and Corporation Alan Rumsey deleted my comments and blocked me because I was asking questions about which city services would be reduced if the court ordered the city to pay $137,000 in attorney’s fees to the Herald News related to the Mayor’s obstruction and suppression of the DCM misconduct public records.”

Katz is referencing the lawsuit between The Herald News along with its parent company Gannett and the city of Fall River over its refusal to turn over all records surrounding John Perry, former head of the Department of Community Maintenance for the city.

https://www.heraldnews.com/story/news/courts/2023/11/20/herald-news-public-records-suit-with-fall-river-could-go-back-to-court/71624276007/

Katz states that he first started commenting on or around November 8th of this year on various municipal Fall River Facebook pages. Answering questions only by email or Facebook messenger, Katz said that started to get involved because he “couldn’t sit silently any longer and watch local government play favorites and engage in hypocrisy.”

Screenshot provided by Will Katz

Katz said that he sent a follow up email last Friday again “demanding that the blocks be removed.” There has been no change to the blocks.

When asked what his next steps will be, Katz intends to keep moving forward.

“I’ve been looking for a lawyer to file a presentment letter so that I can obtain monetary damages in addition to injunctive and declaratory relief. If I can’t come to terms with an attorney, I will proceed as a self-represented litigant. I feel very comfortable with my case.”