DCYF warning to union leader raises First Amendment concerns, ACLU says

By: Alexander Castro

Outlets: Rhode Island Current

Published: May 7, 2026

Words: 1,427

Last Updated: 2 months ago

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What can a union official say in a public hearing about specific reports of child abuse?

That’s the First Amendment question now animating a back-and-forth between the state’s Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), the ACLU of Rhode Island, and the union representing numerous DCYF workers, SEIU Local 580.

On April 16, SEIU Local 580 President Matthew Gunnip, a DCYF social caseworker, sat before the House Committee on Judiciary and testified in …

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