2015/10/04
MISSOURI — For Southeastern Missouri resident Tina Warren, bills have been causing more problems than usual.
She says Piedmont Mayor William “Bill” Kirkpatrick has been harassing her for some time now.
The dispute started in April 2014 when water at her property went out for six days.
She says when she stopped to ask city workers about the issue, the mayor who was also present at the time told her to “go down the fucking road”.
So she decided to return Kirkpatrick’s favor by flipping him off every time she saw him.
She claims the disgruntled mayor and authorities have done much to upset her, including violating her first amendment rights.
Therefore, she has every right to highlight her misgivings about the way the city is being managed.
On the other hand the city’s attorney Robert Ramshur, says Warren is upset because water bills have gone up.
Since that day in 2014 when it all started – she has been pulled over by the police, ordered to get off the sidewalk for inviting citizens to sign a petition against rising water rates, had her water meter pulled out and even had a bogus drug raid, she claims.
On July 7 city workers removed her water meter; this is when Warren and her son, Bryan Jeffers – who also lives with her, went to the City Hall to ask them why they were cut off.
In a response that was caught on camera, one of the workers simply looked at her and said ““you flipped us off”.
Police had to intervene before the water meter was reinstalled; Warren also had to reassure the maintenance workers that her action was directed towards the mayor not them.
Last month, the Wayne County Sheriff, two deputies and a state police narcotics officer turned up at her doorstep. They rummaged through her house for drugs in what turned out to be an exercise in futility.
Finally, on September 24 Warren lodged a federal lawsuit through the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri (ACLU), against the mayor for punishing her for her what is simply a political expression.
Attorney Ramshur categorically states her water meter was not removed as retaliation by the mayor.
“The mayor would never do that,” he added.
The Executive Director of the ACLU of Missouri Jeffrey Mittman says the constitution protects the citizens’ freedom of speech, which is not just the spoken word – but also body language and actions.
According to the union the events indicate that Warren has been subjected to a cycle of harassment.
“Government officials need to develop thicker skins if a middle finger drives them to violate the constitution,” he commented.
Watch the video below: