A lawsuit was settled Monday giving five Black Lives Matter protestors $5,000 each after they were banned from the Iowa state Capitol, Fox 5 reported.
Jalesha Johnson, Louise Bequeaith, Haley Jo Dikkers, Brad Penna and Brandi Ramus were arrested on July 1, 2020 after they had a confrontation with police officers at the Capitol. The Iowa State Patrol told the protesters that they were banned from Capitol grounds by legislative leaders. Part of the group was banned for six months and the other part for a year, Fox 5 reported.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Iowa filed a lawsuit claiming the ban infringed upon the protesters’ right to free speech, assembly, petition, and due process, Fox 5 reported.
Iowa agrees to pay $5K to 4 protesters banned from Capitol https://t.co/kJegZvOz9j
— KCCI News (@KCCINews) August 2, 2021
State lawyers recommended that each protestor be paid $5,000 and their attorney $45,000, which was approved by the State Appeal Board. In the settlement, the state also agreed to remove all bans on the protesters. The agreement specified that the individuals “may continue to enter and use the Iowa Capitol Complex on the same basis and under the same terms as any other law-abiding member of the public,” Fox 5 reported. (RELATED: Leader Of Iowa City Protest Group Arrested And Held Without Bail)
The Iowa Department of Public Safety agreed to train its Capitol officers on issues relating to the First Amendment, according to Fox 5.