9 Mayor Jackie Warner read an apology for blocking people and deleting comments on social media pages she controls during a meeting of the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners on Jan. 23.
The formal apology was part of a settlement agreement in a lawsuit filed against her. The town board met in City Hall. Several people who had been deleted from her social pages attended the meeting.

“Those of you who have been deleted from my mayor’s social page, I thank you for coming out this evening,” Warner said.

She then explained that she controlled three separate Facebook pages, “a mayor’s page, a Carleen’s of Hope Mills (gift shop) page, and a personal page.” Warner said she was under the impression that her Carleen’s and personal pages did not affect her mayor’s page.

“However, we have determined that it does affect you,” Warner said.

Warner explained that she learned that if she blocked a person on her personal page, that person also would not have access to her mayor’s page. The action was determined to be illegal because of Warner’s role as an elected town official.

Duke University filed a lawsuit against the town and Warner. A settlement is now in progress. Part of the settlement requires that Warner was given a statement to read in a public setting, said Warner, who added that the statement was provided by her attorney.

“Over the past several years, I have hidden and deleted posts and comments and blocked people from Facebook pages that I use as a forum to interact with citizens on issues related to the town of Hope Mills in my role as mayor,” Warner read from the statement.

“As a result of my actions, a lawsuit has been filed against me.”

Warner then apologized for her actions and gave her assurance that in the future, her personal Facebook pages would be properly distinguished from her mayor’s page, which will be used as an open forum for residents to freely interact on issues related to the town.

“My statement has always been we’re moving forward in Hope Mills. This is behind us. We are moving forward. There’s a lot of things happening in Hope Mills,” said Warner.

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