ACLU: North Brookfield settles lawsuit, allowing Pride event to go forward with drag show
NORTH BROOKFIELD ― The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts said Monday that it had reached a legal settlement with the Town of North Brookfield that will allow a local group, the Rural Justice Initiative, to hold a Small Town Pride event this year as planned.
In November, the North Brookfield Board of Selectmen declined to vote on a request for a permit to hold Small Town Pride on the town common, after organizers confirmed that a drag show would be part of the festivities. The ACLU sued on behalf the Rural Justice Network in December, alleging discrimination and violation of the rights to assembly and free expression.
"It’s a great win for free expression," said Jessica Lewis, one of three ACLU staff attorneys assigned to the case. "It reinforces the right for all people to celebrate or otherwise express themselves in public."
This will be the Rural Justice Network's fourth Small Town Pride celebration. The first two were in West Brookfield.
Last year, the group received approval to hold the event on the North Brookfield common, but the Board of Selectmen then rescinded the approval after learning about plans to hold a drag show.
The event ultimately went forward after the ACLU became involved.
The ACLU said that as a result of the settlement, the town will pay damages and attorneys’ fees and has agreed not to interfere with future Small Town Pride events going forward. It also said the town had stripped the Board of Selectmen of the power to approve events in local parks, which instead will now be decided by the Parks and Recreation Committee.
"The (North Brookfield Common) belongs to Parks and Rec, so it makes a lot more sense," said Lewis. North Brookfield's Parks and Recreation Committee did not respond to a request for comment on the change.
Phone calls left with Jason Petraitis, the chair of the Board of Selectmen, as well as the Office of the Board of Selectmen were not immediately returned. John Tripp, the former vice chair who along with Petraitis was named as a defendant in the case, is no longer on the board.
Lewis said the settlement should set a precedent that lays the issue to rest for The Rural Justice Network's future pride events in North Brookfield as well as similar potential situations across the state.
"Hopefully this means going forward that The Rural Justice Network won’t have any more issues and other towns will understand that theses kind of performances and events are protected in our constitution," she said.
This year's Small Town Pride event is scheduled for June 29.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: ACLU: North Brookfield settles suit, over Pride event with drag show
