An Arizona woman announced that she’s suing the city of Surprise, Arizona, on Tuesday, Sept. 3, after being arrested at a City Council meeting in August. Activist Rebekah Massie, who was handcuffed and charged with trespassing and resisting arrest during a Surprise City Council meeting said her First and 14th Amendment rights were violated.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a free speech advocacy group, filed the lawsuit on Massie’s behalf on Tuesday.
Point phone camera here
During the meeting, Surprise Mayor Skip Hall said she broke a city rule that bans complaints against city workers during public comment. Massie criticized a proposed pay raise for the city attorney. However, Hall cut her off as he pointed out the city’s rule that prohibits criticism of city officials during public comment.
“Oral communications during city council meetings may not be used to lodge charges or complaints against any employee of the city or members of the body, regardless of whether such person is identified in a presentation by a name or by another reference that tends to identify him or her,” Hall said.
Moments later, an officer physically removed Massie from the room in handcuffs in front of her 10-year-old daughter.
Hall defended the officer’s removal of Massie, saying, “anytime you attack any staff member” or city official, you will be “escorted out” now and “in the future.”
When Massie said she was only sharing “factual information,” Hall responded that “it doesn’t matter.”
The suit seeks to permanently ban the council’s criticism policy, monetary damages and a trial by jury for Massie.
Meanwhile, Mayor Hall’s term comes to an end on Dec. 31.
Mayor-elect Kevin Sartor, R, called what happened to Massie “unacceptable” in a campaign statement, and said that “no citizen should ever be arrested for voicing their concerns, especially in a forum specifically designed for public input.”
Tags: Arizona, Constitution, Crime, First Amendment, Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, Free Speech
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
A TENSE EXCHANGE AT A CITY COUNCIL MEETING IN A PHOENIX SUBURB LED TO THIS…
[REBEKAH MASSIE]
DO NOT TOUCH ME. DO NOT PUT YOUR HANDS ON ME. DO NOT PUT YOUR HANDS ON ME. DO NOT PUT YOUR HANDS ON ME. ARE YOU DETAINING ME? YES! WHY AM I BEING DETAINED? UNDER WHAT CHARGES? UNDER WHAT CHARGES?
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
THAT’S ACTIVIST REBEKAH MASSIE, WHO WAS HANDCUFFED AND CHARGED WITH TRESPASSING AND RESISTING ARREST DURING A CITY OF SURPRISE CITY COUNCIL MEETING LAST MONTH.
NOW, SHE’S SUING THE CITY.
SAYING HER FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS WERE VIOLATED.
THE FOUNDATION FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND EXPRESSION, A FREE-SPEECH ADVOCACY GROUP, FILING THE FEDERAL SUIT TUESDAY.
MAYOR SKIP HALL SAID SHE BROKE A CITY RULE BANNING COMPLAINTS AGAINST CITY WORKERS DURING PUBLIC COMMENT.
MASSIE CRITICIZED A PROPOSED PAY RAISE FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY BUT HALL CUT HER OFF– POINTING OUT THE CITY’S RULE.
[SKIP HALL]
“THERE ARE ORAL COMMUNICATIONS DURING THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MAY NOT BE USED TO LODGE CHARGES OR COMPLAINTS AGAINST ANY EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY OR MEMBERS OF THE BODY, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH PERSON IS IDENTIFIED IN A PRESENTATION BY A NAME OR BY ANY OTHER REFERENCE THAT TENDS TO IDENTIFY HIM OR HER.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
MOMENTS LATER, AN OFFICER REMOVED MASSIE FROM THE ROOM IN FRONT OF HER 10-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER.
HALL DEFENDED THE OFFICER’S REMOVAL OF MASSIE, SAYING, “ANYTIME YOU ATTACK ANY STAFF MEMBER” OR CITY OFFICIAL, YOU WILL BE “ESCORTED OUT” NOW AND “IN THE FUTURE.”
WHEN MASSIE SAID SHE WAS ONLY SHARING QUOTE “FACTUAL INFORMATION,” HALL RESPONDED THAT “IT DOESN’T MATTER.”
THE SUIT SEEKS TO PERMANENTLY BAN THE COUNCIL’S CRITICISM POLICY, MONETARY DAMAGES AND A TRIAL BY JURY FOR MASSIE.
WE’LL BE FOLLOWING THIS STORY– AND YOU CAN TOO.
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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.
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