Facebook bans Sandusky man, removes his protest video

SANDUSKY — Apparently, Facebook frowns upon what happened Monday in Sandusky. On Wednesday, when he logged on to his social media page, Jason Layhue couldn't access any information — including a video he filmed, produced and edited all to capture the peaceful citywide protest and rally in Schade-Mylander Plaza. About 1,500 people attended the event, which raised awareness about racial injustices and police brutality. It stemmed from the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed by Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, a white man, on May 25. Layhue's three-plus-minute cinematic documentary, chronicling some of the day's most powerful moments and imagery, garnered more than 54,000 views upon its removal. "It said that I had violated policies and procedures," said Layhue, who owns The Shooter Films, a multimedia company which, among other projects, releases videos recapping Sandusky High School's pivotal football and basketball games. "But I don't know what that could be. I have never been in 'Facebook Jail,'" added the 1995 Sandusky High School graduate and city resident. "There is no copyright infringement. I engineered the music session myself." Layhue threw out one theory regarding his indefinite time-out: The video doesn't line up with Facebook's beliefs. Coincidentally or not, the social media site has come under fire in recent days with many top-level and long-term employees staging a walkout. They're upset and frustrated with CEO Mark Zuckerberg's decision to let a series of controversial posts coming from President Donald Trump stand, despite them seemingly stroking violence after Floyd's death. "My video doesn't fit the narrative that mainstream media has propelled," said Layhue, who is black and has five sons. "Maybe they don't like that America has been turned upside down." Layhue encourages people to check out the video, titled "George Floyd Protest 2020," on YouTube. People can search "The Shooter Films Sandusky Protest," and it should pop up as the first video in this queue. "My video conveyed what Sandusky is: We are not perfect. We have a lot of stuff we have to work on as far as communication goes with police and black youth," Layhue said. "But it was still a day to be proud of," he continued. "I strategically shot it in black in white, as I wanted it to feel like the 1960s, (to draw a parallel) to what was going on with the riots in the 1960s. We have to change systematic racism. That's been a part of black life from the second we stepped in this country."