ACLU of Missouri
announced yesterday that it has settled a lawsuit which it filed earlier this year against the city of Wentzville after the city removed a woman from a Board of Alderman's meeting for criticizing a 16-foot "In God We Trust" sign that had been installed on the front of the meeting room dias. According to the ACLU:
Tonight, the Wentzville governing body passed and read aloud a resolution affirming its commitment to uphold First Amendment freedoms and acknowledging that members of the public of any or no religions tradition are welcome to participate in local government. The city also resolved to apply the updated city code evenhandedly, without censoring speech based on its content during the open forum portion of a Wentzville Board of Aldermen meeting.
The settlement also stipulates that Wentzville must advise law enforcement officers assigned to public meetings that they have an independent obligation to uphold the Constitution. Officers will now independently assess if probable cause exists before removing someone from a meeting.
