Louisiana trucker sues city over ordinance barring him from flying flags with vulgar message against Biden and his supporters

A Louisiana truck driver is suing a city over its new ordinance that prevents him from flying a flag that displays a vulgar slur against President Joe Biden and those who support him.

Ross Brunet is seeking a court declaration that he was engaging in free speech when he waved his flags. It is also seeking an unspecified amount of damages from the city of Grand Isle, a city on the barrier reef in the Gulf of Mexico.

Brunet works in the city as a Cut Off contractor.

The truck driver was cited by the city council four times for flying vulgar flags, but successfully defended himself in court. He was then cited three more times by the city, which later dropped those citations.

However, the city adopted an ordinance against signs on vehicles that contained “language deemed offensive and vulgar.” [or] obscene in nature and [that] contains language that describes a sexual act.”

Brunet filed a federal lawsuit alleging the city violated his free speech.

“Mr. In fact, Brunet’s speech has been chilled,” the lawsuit says. “They fear and refrain from engaging in their protected political speech in Grand Isle, for fear of government punishment or further retaliation.”

Brunet is being represented by the Tulane First Amendment Legal Clinic.

“Speech that is offensive, vulgar, or refers to a sexual act is protected by the United States Constitution,” the lawsuit said. “Indeed, basic political speech is often offensive to the listener and yet it is a highly protected form of speech.”

The suit names as defendants the city’s mayor, police chief, city attorney, the police officer who issued the citations and a Grand Isle magistrate judge.

The City Council did not comment on the lawsuit.

A similar case unfolded in a neighborhood in Roselle Park, New Jersey in 2021, when a woman refused to take down her exclamation-point anti-Biden flags despite her neighbors’ objections.

“I don’t give up. I don’t care what it takes, I don’t give up. I stand strong,” Andrea Dick said of her flags.

Here’s more on vulgar and anti-Biden free speech:

Pro-Trump, anti-Biden signs with profanity cause uproar in NJ city www.youtube.com

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