photo by: City of Lawrence screenshot

Lawrence resident Justin Spiehs speaks at the Nov. 7, 2023, Lawrence City Commission meeting.

A contentious public commenter who has been arrested on school grounds and removed from multiple public meetings has filed a federal lawsuit against the Lawrence public school district claiming his constitutional rights have been violated.

Justin Spiehs filed the lawsuit on Friday alleging that his First Amendment and 14th Amendment rights were violated when school district officials previously banned him from making public comments at various meetings and also placed restrictions on when he could be on district property.

The lawsuit names Superintendent Anthony Lewis, board members and the district’s board clerk as defendants.

Spiehs contends the district will not allow him to say “anything the board considers embarrassing or negative about staff and students.”

“And so government officials at USD 497 have created the veneer of a robust debate while avoiding the criticism and accountability the First Amendment protects,” the lawsuit, filed by Stilwell attorney Linus Baker, alleges.

Spiehs — who frequently protested mask requirements during the pandemic — has been convicted of criminal charges in Douglas County for an incident that took place at one of his protests. In November 2021, Spiehs was protesting at a coronavirus vaccine clinic at West Middle School, 2700 Harvard Road, and allegedly confronted a man and his 9-year-old son. Spiehs was accused of tearing the paper off of his protest sign, shouting at the man and child and threatening them with the large stick that the sign was attached to. He was originally charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault and one count of interference with a law enforcement officer, but in 2022 he entered a plea agreement and was instead convicted of two misdemeanors, endangerment and endangerment of a child. He was granted probation in August 2022, as the Journal-World reported.

Spiehs is seeking an injunction to prevent the school district from removing him from future public meetings and from prohibiting him from being on district property. He also is seeking monetary damages, although the lawsuit does not specify an amount.

A school district spokeswoman said Friday evening that the district does not comment on pending legal matters.

As reported in November, Spiehs has sued the City of Lawrence in federal court, alleging his free speech rights have been violated by City Commission policies related to public comments.