Editor:

On the evening of Sunday, July 13, I discovered I had been blocked by my own supervisor, Joel Engardio, on both Twitter and Facebook. My offense? Asking hard questions, pointing out misinformation and holding my ground with integrity even when facing bad-faith attacks. I hadn’t used profanity. I hadn’t made threats.

That night, I sent an email to Engardio and cc’d the ACLU and the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force. I attached screenshots documenting the block. By the next morning, I was unblocked but I soon learned I wasn’t the only one. Several other District 4 residents had also been blocked.

Blocking constituents from official social media isn’t just a bad look, it may be unconstitutional. According to the ACLU, when public officials use their accounts to share government updates or engage constituents, those pages become public forums. Blocking critics based on viewpoint violates the First Amendment.

Engardio’s defenders often claim he’s above the fray. But his most vocal supporters don’t behave that way. In one public thread, a longtime ally lashed out at a critic: “I’ve known Joel for over 10 years. He didn’t pay me a goddam dime for this. How much do you get paid to be a jerk?”

This kind of hostility isn’t isolated. While Engardio keeps his public facing persona clean, he benefits from supporters who do the attacking for him. They mock, belittle and dismiss constituents with legitimate concerns while he remains silent and complicit.

This isn’t just about one person being blocked. It’s about how power is wielded and misused. Engardio promotes a culture where disagreement is painted as hatred and critics are smeared as “poisoning” politics. That’s not leadership. It’s deflection and gaslighting.

We deserve better. A public official should be able to handle scrutiny, even uncomfortable criticism. Blocking constituents for speaking up is a form of censorship. And when done systematically, it erodes trust, transparency and civic engagement.

Whether or not this story makes the evening news, it matters. Because in a democracy, constituents should never be punished for participating. They should be heard.

And when a public official uses their position to silence opposition, we are all a little less free.

Wendy Liu, D4 resident

https://www.recallengardio2025.com/ 

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