Germantown woman sues suburb after year-round skeleton citation
Alexis Luttrell has redecorated her yard for Valentine’s Day. The skeletal human is wearing a red-and-white tie-dye heart shirt, a red flower crown, and a red tutu, holds an inflatable heart and a red-and-silver leash, and the dog sports a matching red flower crown and a “Free Kisses” bandana. They are surrounded by two inflatable hearts, an inflatable “Love” sign, multiple heart decorations, and a “Love is Love” sign. (Courtesy Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression)
A Germantown resident has had enough of the suburb’s officials telling her to remove decorative skeletons from her holiday displays and is seeking help through federal court.
Alexis Luttrell, a resident of The Oaks neighborhood south of Howard McVay Park, has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee saying Germantown’s demand that she remove her skeletons from the front lawn violates her First Amendment rights.
“The federal lawsuit is focused on striking down the ordinance because it violates the First Amendment in our federal Constitution, so it’s a federal case focused on federal law about the ordinance going forward,” Colin McDonell, Luttrell’s attorney, said by phone on Thursday, Feb. 13.
Germantown officials declined comment on Luttrell’s filing. “The City of Germantown does not comment on pending litigation,” they said in a prepared statement.
The matter has bubbled and boiled like the brew in a witch’s cauldron for weeks. The issue is Luttrell having skeletons in her yard decorated for various holidays — not just Halloween.
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Germantown holiday decorations First Amendment US District Court for the Western District of Tennessee Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
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Abigail Warren
Abigail Warren is a lifelong resident of Shelby County and a graduate of the University of Memphis. She has worked for several local publications and covers the suburbs for The Daily Memphian.
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