Boards do not have unrestricted authority to limit speech during the Open Forum portions of their meetings. They are considered public forums for free speech purposes. Members and spouses have a limited right to make statements some might consider defamatory. For example, owners might comment that they think the board or manager is mismanaging the association. A board cannot prohibit such comments. In a 2000 case, the manager of an HOA sued members, alleging they had defamed him by claiming he had mismanaged the association. The court dismissed the case stating that members had a right to voice their opinions about his management abilities since it constituted political speech about a public issue in a public forum. (Damon v. Ocean Hills).