Gag order leads to suit against city of Portland
Accountability board member refused to sign nondisclosure agreement
Bob Weinstein, a Northwest District resident who was removed as an alternate member of the Community Board for Police Accountability for refusing to sign a nondisclosure agreement, filed a suit today charging violation of his free speech rights under the Oregon Constitution.
The Portland City Council voted 7-5 on Feb. 11 to remove him from the board due to his refusal. Of the three council members in District 4, Olivia Clark and Eric Zimmerman voted against his removal and Mitch Green voted for it.
The nondisclosure agreement binds all members of the board to treat “all information shared” with them by city attorneys as confidential, even documents which are public records under Oregon law.
“The voters created an independent oversight board to bring transparency to the system,” Weinstein said. “Instead, the city is demanding that members sign a gag order so broad it treats even basic training materials as secret.
“You cannot have meaningful police accountability if the people responsible for oversight are legally prohibited from talking about how the system works,” he said.
Approved by voters in 2020, the CBPA’s mission is to investigate police misconduct, impose discipline and recommend improvements in police policies and practices.
Weinstein is represented by Edward A. Piper of Glenmorrie Law LLC.
Bob Weinstein is a frequent contributor to this website.
"Non-disclosure agreement"????
Why would the City have that, unless they were trying to hide something??
I filed a lawsuit against the City of Portland today to defend the public's right to speak and to know.
Portlanders voted for a police accountability system built on independence, transparency, and public trust. We were promised a watchdog—not a body operating under City Hall’s thumb.
The case asks a simple question: Can the City hide public information behind a blanket of secrecy that the Oregon Constitution does not allow?
I filed this case because Portlanders deserve a government that honors the Charter they voted for, respects the Constitution that protects them, and trusts them with the truth. .
The real question is not whether I remain on a board. The question is whether citizens must surrender their voice in order to serve their community.
This case is not about my voice. It is about whether the City can take yours.