Gwinnett County Commissioner Tommy Hunter has filed a $5 million lawsuit, claiming his constitutional right to free speech was violated when he was publicly reprimanded for a 2017 social media post.
According to a report in the Gwinnett Daily Post, the lawsuit was filed in federal district court last week.
Hunter received a written reprimand from his colleagues on the Gwinnett County Commission in reference to a post on his personal Facebook page where he called Georgia Congressman John Lewis a racist pig. The comment was posted after Lewis questioned the legitimacy of President Trump's election and refused to attend inauguration ceremonies.
The lawsuit, according to the newspaper report, said the comment constituted "political speech" and was therefore protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The lawsuit names the commissioners who were in office at the time as defendants.
Hunter, in addition to $5 million in damages, has also asked that the reprimand be rescinded.
