Deerfield-News.com-Deerfield Beach,Fl- At the close of last nights city commission meeting Mayor Bill Ganz goes of on a verbal tirade against Mr. John Grassi.
Deerfield-News.com did a story about the photo which was placed on a Facebook Group “Deerfield Beach Politics”.Seems Mr. Grassi is the Administrator of that Facebook page.Mayor seems to be angry at a residents Facebook post of a picture which is on a page he administrates. Any comments made Mr. Grassi also has, first amendedment rights to do so.
Mayor your calling out of Mr. Grassi while may make you feel like a good guy standing between old friends as you described them. You just did a worse thing, than anything Mr.Grassi’s or the group posted on Facebook in our opinion.Sir you said and I quote” In Some Peoples Minds People of Color They All Look Alike ” and these were your thoughts and words as a result of an apparent mistaken identity of State Representative Williams in the photo posted on Facebook(Mr. Grassi was not at last nights meeting according to our sources).
Mayor Ganz, the end of a Commission meeting is not a venue for you to pontificate about a Facebook post that you do not agree with. It also does not give you the right to apparently defame a taxpaying resident that has every right under the first amendment to express his concerns about your behavior!
What is most concerning of all is that in accordance with the laws pertaining to absolute immunity, you were NOT acting within the scope of your duties when you appear to have defamed Mr Grassi and therefore you have possibly exposed this City to a defamation/slander suit.
I hope for your sake that the taxpayers of Deerfield Beach are not financially burdened with another lawsuit due to a Facebook post by a taxpaying resident.
- lawmakers engaged in the legislative process;[2]
- judges acting in their judicial capacity;[3]
- government prosecutors while making charging decisions (although prosecutors are only entitled to qualified immunity if they are acting outside of their function as a prosecutor);[4]
- witnesses while testifying in court (although the witness may be prosecuted for perjury if the testimony is deliberately false);[5]
- lawyers in certain circumstances related to fraud.
Mayor I am not sure if this is what you’re thinking protects you.Because the last thing the city of Deerfield Beach needs is residents suing the city for defamation or slander or tortious interference.
You must go to dfb.city and or paste the below link and the Mayors comments begin at 3.09.30
http://deerfieldbeach.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=558
