ST. LOUIS — A Wellston councilperson is suing the city, citing alleged breach of duty.
Linda Garner filed a complaint June 15 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri Eastern Division against the city of Wellston and Nathanial Griffin alleging that the defendants violated plaintiff's First, Fourth, Fourteenth Amendment for her removal from two City Council meetings.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that on June 3, 2015, the plaintiff was removed from two City Council meetings by the local police department upon the alleged order of Griffin. The plaintiff claims she did not commit any crime or wrongdoing and was never charged with a crime to be removed from the council meetings, after which she was taken into police custody and not allowed to return to the meetings.
As a result, Garner claims she has been illegally arrested and manhandled causing her emotional upset and loss of dignity.
The plaintiff holds the city of Wellston and Griffin responsible because the defendants allegedly violated the plaintiff's free speech rights, due process rights, right to be free of false arrest and for her rights to be free of unreasonable arrest and physical manhandling under the First, Fourth and Fourteenth amendments.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment for damages, attorney fees incurred, taxable court costs, and for any other relief deemed just. She is represented by Robert Schultz and Ronald J. Eisenberg of Schultz & Associates LLP in Chesterfield.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri Eastern Division case number 4:17-cv-01674