LAFAYETTE - A recently filed lawsuit says a woman was falsely arrested while barbequing at a protest in Lafayette.
Tara Fogleman-Laxey filed a federal complaint on August 27 in the Western District of Louisiana against Josh Guillory, Mayor-President of the City of Lafayette; Lafayette Consolidated Government; Scott Morgan, former Interim Police Chief of the Lafayette Police Department; Mark Garber, Sheriff of Lafayette Parish; and Donald Landry, District Attorney for the 15th Judicial District
According to the complaint, on August 29, 2020, Fogleman-Laxey set out from her house to exercise her First Amendment rights to peacefully protest on a public street near Mayor Guillory’s residence with approximately two other nonviolent protestors. Fogleman-Laxey’s chosen method of protest was a community barbeque to promote a discussion with the mayor about the killing of Trayford Pelleri.
Fogleman-Laxey’s BBQ protest abruptly ended when the police arrived at the scene and allegedly arrested her on a charge of obstructing a public roadway with her grill. A photo shows that the BBQ was not obstructing the public roadway, the suit claims.
Though Ms. Fogleman-Laxey did nothing wrong, cops conducted a pat-down, confiscated her cell phone, and then arrested Fogleman-Laxey without either reasonable suspicion or probable cause, the suit says.
Fogleman-Laxey seeks compensatory and punitive damages, permanent injunction or other order against Defendants, attorney's fees and cost of suit. Fogleman-Laxey is represented by Megan E. Snider of ACLU Foundation of Louisiana.
U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana case number 6:21-cv-03038-MJJ-PJH