Supreme Court rules for ex-council member in Texas arrested after criticizing city official
The Supreme Court revived a civil rights claim brought by a Texas woman who served on a small-town council and was arrested following her criticisms of a senior official.
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday revived a civil rights claim brought by a Texas woman who served on a small-town council and was arrested following her criticisms of a senior official.
The ruling gives Sylvia Gonzalez another chance to bring a retaliation claim, with the court sending the case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
The case focused on the scope of a 2019 Supreme Court ruling called Nieves v. Bartlett, which said plaintiffs generally cannot bring retaliation claims when police make a lawful arrest.
Gonzalez, who was 72 at the time, was arrested in 2019 soon after taking office as a council member in Castle Hills, Texas. She had run for election as a critic of the city manager.
Gonzalez was charged with inappropriately removing a government document, identified as a citizen petition she had prepared.
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