CV NEWS FEED // The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) is threatening a lawsuit against Colorado Capitol officials for violating the First Amendment, after activist Jeffrey Hunt was removed from the Senate gallery for wearing a pro life sweatshirt.
According to Desert News, Jeffrey Hunt was at the Colorado Capitol in March 2023 with colleagues from Colorado Christian University to protest bills regulating pregnancy crisis centers.
Wearing a sweatshirt that read “Pro-Life U,” he was told by Senate Sergeant-At-Arms Benjamin Trujillo that it violated gallery rules.
Hunt was asked to leave the state Senate gallery or remove his pro-life sweatshirt. Hunt left, refusing to remove the sweatshirt.
Hunt was “shocked” by the request. “I felt like I was being targeted for expressing my American right to free speech,” he said.
Hunt now has the support of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which is threatening a lawsuit against Capitol officials for violating the First Amendment.
“My goal with this case is to make sure this type of censorship doesn’t happen to anyone else, especially in the heart of our state’s democracy,” Hunt stated.
In a letter to House Chief Sergeant-At-Arms Stephen Rosenthal, Senate Sergeant-At-Arms Benjamin Trujillo, and Senate Chief Sergeant-At-Arms Frank Lombardi, FIRE contends that the gallery’s ban on political apparel is unconstitutional, asserting that it violates the First Amendment.
Their letter additionally claims the rule is enforced inconsistently, noting that pro-gun control apparel was permitted while Hunt’s pro-life sweatshirt was not. “Enforcing a rule differently because of a speaker’s message is repugnant to the Constitution,” the letter stated.
FIRE demands the rule be rescinded and related signage removed, warning of a lawsuit if the officials do not comply. “Officials can’t kick you out of public galleries just because they don’t like the message on your shirt,” said FIRE attorney Raul Ruiz. “We look forward to vindicating Hunt’s rights, and the rights of every American, regardless of their opinions.”
