Wabash County Commissioner Rob Dean says he has stepped away from Facebook following controversy over profane posts made after the county board approved a large-scale solar farm last month.
During last week’s county board meeting, Dean told fellow commissioners and the public that he is no longer on the social media platform, saying the decision has reduced stress. Dean said, “The good news is I’m not on Facebook anymore. So I haven’t had any stress or anything. So it’s been good. That was by my choosing, and it took me a long time to smarten up and do that.”
Dean’s comments follow backlash after he used profanity in Facebook posts aimed at residents who questioned the county’s approval of a solar project covering more than 3,000 acres near the former Friendsville Mine.
Tensions escalated during a recent county board meeting when Dean criticized Mount Carmel Mayor Joe Judge for liking a Facebook post opposing the solar farm. Judge later said the “like” was simply to acknowledge being tagged, not an endorsement of the post.
Dean later returned to Facebook, again using profane language to challenge opponents of the project, telling them to run for office. Those posts have since been deleted.
Five candidates are currently seeking the county commissioner seat held by Scott West, who is not seeking re-election in 2026. Dean’s seat on the county board will not be up for election until 2028.