A Pennsylvania county will pay $91,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by two residents who were evicted from a local park for speaking about politics, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Representation (FIRE). ) was announced on Wednesday.
After being told by security guards in June 2022 that they couldn’t continue to collect nomination signatures or talk to voters about the new political party at Fort Hunter Park, Kevin Gogen and Dave Coker announced their plans to join the Dauphin in January. sued the county. report. of settlement recognizes that the county’s ban on political expression in public parks violates the First Amendment. (Related: Universities abolish ‘free speech’ zones under legal pressure)
“FIRE is pleased that this case was finally resolved in our client’s favor.We protect the right to free speech by refusing to participate in political activity in public parks. We shouldn’t have sued to get them to lift the ban, but that’s what FIRE is for.”
Victory: Today, a federal court ordered Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, to end its unconstitutional ban on political speeches at Fort Hunter Park after FIRE filed a lawsuit in January.https://t.co/wpeoQKuYcu pic.twitter.com/6q6Axci64s
—FIRE (@TheFIREorg) April 26, 2023
“This win is not just for Dave and I, it’s for everyone in Dauphin County,” Gogen said in the FIRE announcement. “When the county government didn’t back down, FIRE sued on our behalf. It was very reassuring to have FIRE in our corner.”
The lawsuit follows a legal demand letter FIRE sent to county officials in October 2022, requesting that the ban on political speech be lifted.county responded that the restrictions were applied within reasonable time, place and manner restrictions;
“Dauphine County should not have filed a lawsuit to open the park to political activity,” FIRE attorney Connor Fitzpatrick said in a statement. “Thanks to Kevin and Dave, Pennsylvanians We can now talk about politics in Fort Hunter Park without fear of government censorship.”
According to FIRE, Coker is the candidate for District 104 of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives under the PA’s Keystone Party, and Gogen is a member of its board.Create a culture of positive policy change with viable solutions to real-world problems.”We will elect honest and rational candidates who will support a small, effective and efficient government.” website read.
“The court’s order today prohibits Dauphin County from banning political activity at Fort Hunter Park, and the order is clearly intended to benefit the public,” Zeman said. told DCNF. “So Dave and Kevin, and future candidates and their supporters, are all free to petition for ballot signatures and talk to the public about political issues at the park.”
Dauphin County and Fort Hunter Park did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
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