BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The holidays may be over, but a Denham Springs woman wants to keep an unusual light display on her roof, showing an extended middle finger to her neighbors.
A federal judge heard testimony Monday about whether Sarah Childs should be granted an injunction, barring the city of Denham Springs and police from requiring her to remove the display. The hearing will continue next week.
Childs says she put up the roof message because she believed a neighbor stole her dog. She says police threatened her with fines and arrest because of the lights. She and the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana sued the city and police.
Lawyers for Denham Springs and police say officials didn’t threaten Childs. They also argue that the display isn’t protected speech under the Constitution.