ACLU Sues City Of Wentzville For Violating First Amendment

WENTZVILLE, MO — The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri has filed suit against the city of Wentzville for violating a woman's First Amendment rights at a Board of Aldermen meeting in February. According to the complaint, Sally Hunt was approved to speak for 5 minutes during the citizen participation portion of the meeting. She had come to object to a recently-installed 16-foot sign on the Board's dais reading, "In God We Trust." The sign was installed without a public vote, according to the ACLU.

Hunt told the Board that she felt the sign would alienate and intimidate some Wentzville residents. "[In God We Trust] became our national motto during the Cold War," she explained. "The reason it became our national motto — this is very important U.S. history — the reason for that was to separate people in the United States from those 'Godless commies.' It was a view that there was something wrong with not believing in a higher power. So, it is important to understand that it's all about a negative view of those who don't believe. And the purpose of government is to make sure that you are representing every single type of person."

Mayor Nick Guccione interrupted Hunt to tell her that her time was up, though she had only been speaking for four minutes and 35 seconds. Hunt thanked the Board and began to return to her seat, but the mayor began to publicly argue with her. When she tried to defend herself, the mayor told Hunt she would be removed.

Though Hunt was respectful and stayed at the dais less than a minute after the mayor told her that her time was up — and for most of that time, she was still being address by the mayor — two police officers prevented Hunt from returning to her seat and escorted her from the building.

“The right to disagree with public officials without retribution is at the heart of a thriving democracy,” said ACLU of Missouri Legal Director Tony Rothert. “Just because a public official does not like what someone says about his decision [that doesn't] give him the right to intimidate someone or censor constitutionally protected speech.”

Guccione said Hunt does not live in Wentzville and should not have a voice in the community, but Hunt said she had spoken with many people who live in Wentzville too afraid to come forward and speak themselves. The mayor called that "hearsay."

Guccione acknowledged to Patch that a lawsuit had been filed, but offered no additional comment.

Watch video from the meeting here. Hunt begins speaking around eight minutes in.

Photo: A video still from a Wentzville Board of Aldermen meeting February 14 showing Sally Hunt addressing Wentzville Mayor Nick Guccione and other Board members. (City of Wentzville)