Christine BredenKoetter and her husband Andrew Podleski are longtime residents of the City of Florissant. Podleski is a Florissant City Council member and a mayoral candidate. In November, Christine put a sign in their yard that read “Elect Andrew Podleski Mayor”. She placed the sign in response to the incumbent mayor’s re-election announcement and accompanying political statements that she viewed as critical of her husband.
Days later, Podleski received a letter from the building commissioner that the sign was illegal and should be removed immediately, citing a Florissant ordinance prohibiting the display of political signs sooner than 30 days before an election and no longer after 10 days after one. The letter also stated that Podleski had 10 days to remove the sign or face “further action.”
The ACLU of Eastern Missouri has filed a suit on behalf of BredenKoetter in the U.S. District Court claiming that the city’s action violated her free speech rights.
Read the ACLU's Motion for Preliminary Injuction below.