OPRA Request: Union City Board of Education & Superintendent Silvia T. Abbato
Social Media Records & Email/Text Communications

To: Justin Mercado, Board Secretary / OPRA Custodian of Records
Agency: Union City Board of Education
Address: 3912 Bergen Turnpike, Union City, NJ 07087
Phone: (201) 271-2289 ext. 70334
Fax: (201) 348-5866

From: Carol Gibson

Date: May 21, 2026

Subject: OPRA Request / Common Law Right of Access – Social Media Records & Email/Text Communications

Dear Mr. Mercado, Custodian of Records:

This request is made pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq., and the New Jersey Common Law Right of Access to government records. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-6(f), this email constitutes a valid OPRA request and I am not required to complete an official agency form. See also Paff v. City of East Orange, 407 N.J. Super. 221, 227-28 (App. Div. 2009).
Required OPRA Questions
1.Is this request for commercial purposes? No.
2.Will the records be used for commercial purposes? No.
3.Is this request on behalf of a news media organization? No.
Common Law Right of Access
In the alternative, and in addition to the foregoing OPRA request, Requestor hereby invokes the Common Law Right of Access to government records as recognized under New Jersey common law. Shuttleworth v. City of Camden, 258 N.J. Super. 573 (App. Div. 1992); Loigman v. Kimmelman, 102 N.J. 98 (1986). The public interest in transparency and government accountability in the operation of public social media pages and official communications outweighs any interest in non-disclosure.
Part 1: Social Media Records
Pursuant to Paff v. Galloway Township, 229 N.J. 340 (2017), social media records maintained by a public agency or by a public official in their official capacity constitute government records subject to OPRA. Please provide the following records, active and current as of May 21, 2026, for each of the social media accounts identified below, as well as any other social media accounts operated by the Union City Board of Education or Superintendent Abbato:
Identified Union City Board of Education Official Accounts:
Platform
Handle / Page Name
URL
Facebook
Union City Schools
https://www.facebook.com/Union-City-Scho...
X (Twitter )
@schools_uc
https://twitter.com/schools_uc
Instagram
@ucschools
https://www.instagram.com/ucschools/
Superintendent Silvia T. Abbato — any official or personal social media accounts used for public business, including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter ), LinkedIn, TikTok, or YouTube.

Records Requested for Each Account:

1.Authorized Profiles Page / Admin List: A complete list, screenshot, or export of all individuals, employees, contractors, or accounts that currently have administrative, editorial, moderator, or publishing access to each social media page or account.
2.Banned Profiles Page / Blocked Users List: A complete list, screenshot, or export of all users, profiles, or accounts that are currently banned, blocked, hidden, or otherwise restricted from viewing, commenting on, or interacting with each social media page or account.
3.Censored Words List / Profanity Filter: A complete list, screenshot, or export of all specific words, phrases, or terms that are currently entered into the page's automated profanity filter, moderation assist tool, comment filter, or "hidden words" / "censored words" settings (e.g., Facebook's "Page Moderation" or "Hide Comments Containing Certain Words" feature, Instagram's "Hidden Words" setting, or equivalent tools on other platforms).
Part 2: Email and Text Message Communications
Pursuant to Paff v. Galloway Township, 229 N.J. 340 (2017), and Burnett v. County of Bergen, 198 N.J. 408 (2009), government records include electronic communications — including emails and text messages — sent or received by public officials in connection with the performance of their public duties, regardless of whether the communication was sent from a government or personal device or account.
Please provide copies of all emails and text messages sent or received by:
•The Union City Board of Education (including all board members and administrative staff), and
•Superintendent Silvia T. Abbato (including communications sent to or from [email address], any other official district email address, and any personal email address or personal phone used for public business)
...that contain any of the following keywords or subject matter:
Search Term
"1st amendment"
"leroy truth"
"leroy"
"leroy fliposki"
"youtube"
"opra"
"arrest"
"public records"
Timeframe: January 1, 2024 through May 21, 2026.
If any responsive records are withheld in whole or in part pursuant to any claimed exemption under N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. or any other authority, please provide a detailed written explanation identifying the specific exemption(s) relied upon for each withheld record, as required by N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(g).
Format and Delivery
Requestor requests that all records be provided in electronic format (PDF, Excel, Word, native screenshot, or email export format) via email to [email address].
Statutory Deadline
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(i), the Custodian of Records is required to respond to this request within seven (7) business days of receipt. The statutory deadline for this request is on or before May 30, 2026.
If the Custodian is unable to comply with this request within seven (7) business days, the Custodian must provide written notice within that same seven-day period stating the reason for the delay and the anticipated date of fulfillment, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(i).

Please confirm receipt of this request by return email.

Respectfully submitted,

Carol Gibson
Lead Investigator O.A.T.H.

Note: If you are not the OPRA Custodian of Records for the Union City Board of Education, please forward this request to the correct custodian and provide their name and contact information to the Requestor as required by N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(i).