A Stormont minister broke the ministerial code over a social media post at the time of riots in Co Antrim last summer, an investigation has found.
Complaints against Communities Minister Gordon Lyons were upheld following an investigation by the Assembly Commissioner for Standards Dr Melissa McCullough.
Sixty-four members of the public complained to the commissioner, as did SDLP MLA Matthew O'Toole, the leader of the Opposition.
He has called on Mr Lyons to resign following what he described as "stark and damning findings".
The complaints were about a social media post the DUP minister made in June 2025 about the relocation of families to Larne Leisure Centre following rioting in Ballymena.
It will be up to the Northern Ireland Assembly to decide on any sanction.
The DUP rejected the report describing it as "speculative and conjecture" rather than based on evidence.
In June 2025, rioting broke out in Ballymena following a protest in support of a teenage girl who was alleged to have been sexually assaulted by two Romanian teenagers.
Charges against the two boys, aged 14 and 15, were withdrawn in November following "significant evidential developments".
The violence spread to other towns and 17 people who had been intimidated from their homes were temporarily accommodated in Larne Leisure Centre.
An anti-immigration group published plans for a protest at the leisure centre.
The DUP was contacted by police to get the word out that the group had already moved on.
Mr Lyons posted on Facebook saying that "a number of individuals were temporarily moved to Larne Leisure Centre in the early hours of the morning following the disturbance in Ballymena".
"As a local MLA for the area, neither I nor my DUP council colleagues were made aware or consulted with on this decision."
He added that the group had moved elsewhere and while protest was legitimate, violence was not and appealed for calm.
He had 8,000 followers on the platform.
Later that night the leisure centre was set alight by rioters and badly damaged.
Mr Lyons posted on Facebook again that night condemning the violence.
The minister was interviewed by the Standards Commissioner.
He said the purpose of his post had been to clarify misinformation that the people were still in the leisure centre when they had gone, and he had been attempting to "clarify" and calm the situation.
The Standards Commissioner said his post appeared to have had the "opposite effect".
"Rather than defusing the situation it may have heightened tensions and contributed to further unrest."
She based this on the weight that a minister's words can carry; that there was no expression of empathy for those forced to flee their homes; and that he ought to have been aware that police resources were stretched.
Dr McCullough also dismissed Mr Lyons' characterisation of condemnation of his comments as a political pile-on.
Rather, she said the post invited criticism as it "lacked empathy and failed to prioritise public safety and community cohesion in a time of crisis".
She ruled that the Communities Minister had breached the ministerial code by not following the principles of public life laid down in it and by not having regard to the impact of his post.
"Minister Lyons still maintains there was nothing wrong with his message. That is very disappointing. Mistakes in judgement can happen, even at the highest levels, but leadership also requires the humility to acknowledge them, " the commissioner found.
A DUP spokesman said Mr Lyons had been "fully entitled" to publish the social media post. "Conclusions made by the commissioner should be based on evidence and fact however much of this report is speculative and conjecture.
"Mr Lyons co-operated fully with the then commissioner and made clear that his social media post was published on the basis of communication from the PSNI - which has now been confirmed.
"The commissioner clearly ignored the significance or weight this would carry for any MLA.
"His post was appropriate, factual, and aimed at de-escalation of a difficult situation in Larne at the time."
