Latest news with #AlexisLuttrell
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘I won my case': Germantown settles holiday decor lawsuit
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Germantown woman has won a lawsuit that she filed against the city of Germantown after she was summoned to court last year over her skeleton holiday decor. The city of Germantown voted to repeal its holiday ordinance and agreed to a $24,999 settlement to settle a First Amendment lawsuit, according to attorneys representing the resident. Alexis Luttrell put a skeleton and a skeleton dog in her yard in October and later dressed them up for the holidays. In December, she received a notice that the decor violated the city's code. Germantown resident summoned to court over holiday decor According to ordinance 11-33, holiday and seasonal decorations shall not be installed or placed more than 45 days before the date of the holiday for which said decorations are intended and shall be removed within a reasonable period of time, not to exceed 30 days, following the date of the holiday for which said decorations are intended. In February, Luttrell filed a Federal lawsuit against the City of Germantown, claiming her First and Fourth Amendment rights were violated when they asked her to take down her Christmas skeleton decorations. The suit claimed Germantown is dictating how residents celebrate holidays, and its Holiday Decorations Ordinance is unconstitutionally vague. Luttrell said the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression [FIRE] would represent her in court. In March, the City of Germantown dropped the citation. 'Not only am I no longer at risk of being fined for my skeletons, but the unconstitutional ordinance is now dead and buried. Today is a victory for anyone who has ever been censored by a government official and chose to fight back,' Luttrell said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Germantown repeals holiday decorations ordinance that led to First Amendment lawsuit
The Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen unanimously approved the third and final reading to repeal the city's holiday decorations ordinance during its April 28 meeting. There was no discussion by the board about a new decorations ordinance. The push to scrap the ordinance came after resident Alexis Luttrell fought a citation given to her by the city over her use of giant skeleton decorations in various outdoor holiday displays. Luttrell kept the skeleton decorations in her yard after Halloween, incorporating them in other holiday displays. That violated Germantown's ordinance that dictated decorations could only be displayed 45 days before and 30 days after their intended holiday. COMING TO GERMANTOWN: 'Million Dollar Bacon' is coming soon: See when First Watch plans to open in Germantown The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) filed a lawsuit on Luttrell's behalf in February in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee against the City of Germantown, claiming the holiday decorations ordinance violated Luttrell's First Amendment rights. Germantown attorney David Goodman told the board after reviewing the ordinance that he had some legal concerns about it. "I would recommend that the ordinance as written would be repealed," Goodman said in March. "If the board ultimately does repeal (the ordinance), we would then have an opportunity to look into potentially drafting a replacement ordinance." Germantown later moved to dismiss the citation against Luttrell. Corey Davis is the Collierville and Germantown reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at or 901-293-1610. To keep up with the latest news from the Shelby County suburbs, sign up here for our Suburban Pulse weekly newsletter. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Germantown repeals holiday decorations ordinance: Why and what's next
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Germantown drops citation for holiday decorations
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The City of Germantown has dropped a citation against a woman they said violated the city's holiday decorations ordinance. Alexis Luttrell claimed her First Amendment rights were violated when she received a citation in January to remove skeleton decorations she used for Halloween, then for Christmas. Luttrell was told the decorations violated Ordinance 11-33, which prohibits residents from placing holiday and seasonal decorations on their property more than 45 days before or 30 days after the intended holiday. Court records show the charge was listed as nolle pros last week. Germantown considers getting rid of ordinance at center of skeleton decorations lawsuit 'I'm beyond pleased that I'm no longer on trial for nothing more than decorating my yard in a way that City Hall didn't like,' Luttrell said in a news release from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. 'That these charges were ever brought in the first place was utterly surreal, but I'm glad that they're dead and buried — and my skeletons aren't.' Luttrell told WREG she purchased a skeleton and a dog skeleton for yard displays throughout the year. Her lawsuit claims Germantown is dictating how residents celebrate holidays and its decorations ordinance is unconstitutionally vague. 'I want to protect not only my First Amendment rights but those of my community,' said Luttrell. 'It shouldn't be left up to Germantown whether my holiday decor matches their personal taste or preference.' Germantown resident summoned to court over holiday decor Complaint for Civil Rights Violations – Luttrell v. City of Germantown TennesseeDownload According to court documents, Luttrell said that ordinance violates the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment because it is vague and fails to give fair notice to the public and give officials discretion to arbitrarily enforce it according to their own subjective beliefs. Luttrell said she wanted the court to declare Germantown violated her rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments and wants the city's holiday ordinance thrown out entirely. The Germantown Board of Aldermen will meet at 6 p.m. on Monday at City Hall to discuss repealing the city's ordinance. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Germantown considers repealing decorations ordinance after lawsuit
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Nearly a month after a woman filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Germantown over its holiday decorations ordinance, city leaders are considering repealing it. Alexis Luttrell claimed her First Amendment rights were violated when she was asked to remove skeleton decorations she used for Halloween and Christmas. Woman sues Germantown over skeleton Christmas decorations Luttrell was told the decorations violated a Germantown ordinance that prohibits residents from placing holiday and seasonal decorations on their property more than 45 days before or 30 days after the intended holiday. Monday, the Board of Mayor and Alderman will have the first reading of a resolution to repeal Division 2, Section 11-33 – Holiday/seasonal/special Events decorations. They will also set a public hearing date for the issue. Luttrell is not commenting on the action or its potential impact on her lawsuit. Germantown resident summoned to court over holiday decor Luttrell told WREG she purchased a skeleton and a dog skeleton for yard displays throughout the year. Her suit claims Germantown is dictating how residents celebrate holidays and its decorations ordinance is unconstitutionally vague. 'I want to protect not only my First Amendment rights but those of my community,' said Luttrell. 'It shouldn't be left up to Germantown whether my holiday decor matches their personal taste or preference.' Luttrell said she wanted the court to declare Germantown violated her rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments and wants the city's holiday ordinance thrown out entirely. The Germantown Board of Aldermen will meet at 6 p.m. on Monday at City Hall. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Town's threats over skeleton lawn decor — with festive twist — have Tennessee woman suing
In a Memphis suburb, a resident is suing local officials, saying they want to force her to take down decorative skeletons she has displayed on her lawn since Halloween. They're trying to take her to city court. Now, Alexis Luttrell is bringing the issue to federal court. Luttrell has been adding festive touches to her lawn skeletons at her home in Germantown, incorporating them into various seasonal displays. She dressed them for Election Day, Christmas and most recently redecorated them for Valentine's Day. She simply likes skeletons, explains a federal lawsuit she filed Feb. 12 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. 'But Germantown officials believe that skeletons may only celebrate Halloween,' a complaint says. City officials have threatened Luttrell with fines and a court order that would legally require her to take down her display, according to the complaint. They say she's defying Germantown's Holiday Decorations Ordinance, which bans homeowners for displaying decorations more than 45 days before or 30 days past a designated holiday. But this ban is unconstitutional, because it gives city officials the power to dictate how residents celebrate holidays — and the power to punish those who ignore the ordinance, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which represents Luttrell. Under the First Amendment, Germantown residents should have a right to decorate their yards and homes for holidays how they choose, according to the complaint. 'The First Amendment protects a wide range of expression, from waving a flag to painting a picture to displaying holiday decorations,' FIRE attorney Colin McDonell told McClatchy News in a statement on Feb. 13. 'Government officials can't impose their own subjective beliefs about what expression appropriately celebrates a particular holiday.' Germantown spokeswoman Jessica Comas declined McClatchy News' request for comment Feb. 13. She said the city doesn't comment on pending litigation. 'You don't have to like my decorations' After Luttrell arranged her skeletons in a political display for Election Day, a Germantown code officer visited her home on Dec. 6, leaving a notice that she was violating the city's holiday ordinance, according to the lawsuit. The notice instructed her to take down her skeletons. Eight other Germantown residents with skeleton decor were issued similar notices, requesting they remove their displays, Cameron Ross, the director of the city's economic and community development, told He said five homeowners 'immediately complied.' After citations were issued to two homeowners, and a court summons was issued to a third, they took down their skeletons, according to Ross, reported. Instead of taking hers down, Luttrell refreshed her skeletons for Christmas. She dressed her human skeletal figure in a green and red tutu and placed a garland in its hand, which she affixed to a second figure, a skeletal dog, as a leash. She placed the skeletons in between an inflatable Santa Claus and Christmas tree. Then, on Jan. 6, Germantown issued her a citation and summoned her to Germantown Municipal Court, according to the complaint. 'The resident in question has claimed the skeletons are Christmas decorations, but the City maintains they are Halloween-themed and fall outside the ordinance's allowances,' Ross told about Luttrell. 'Penalties will ultimately be determined by the City Prosecutor and Judge during the court hearing.' Luttrell's court date, which was set for Feb. 13, has been pushed back to March 13, McDonnell told McClatchy News. If Luttrell 'continues incorporating skeletons into non-Halloween holiday decorations, she risks additional citations, fines, and other penalties, including the seizure of her skeletons,' the complaint says. Luttrell isn't deterred by the threats of legal ramifications. 'You don't have to like my decorations, but that doesn't mean Germantown has the right to force me to take them down,' Luttrell, who holds a law degree, said in a news release issued by FIRE. Within the next few months, she plans to decorate her skeletons for St. Patrick's Day, Easter and Pride month, according to the complaint. The complaint says she 'intends to continue incorporating her decorative skeletons into her holiday displays in the coming years.' Ross told that if Luttrell takes down her skeletons before her court hearing, the only consequence she might face is covering legal fees. With her lawsuit, Luttrell seeks a court order that declares Germantown's attempts to censor her as unconstitutional, an injunction that prevents officials from enforcing the Holiday Decorations Ordinance as well as other relief. 'Germantown's ordinance targets protected expression based on its message, and that's unconstitutional,' McDonnell said.
