Name: Canton man files lawsuit over city councils ban on public speaking
Uploaded: 2025-12-06T05:16:03.234Z
Duration: 1 min 58 s
Description: A Canton resident has filed a lawsuit against the city of Canton and council members, challenging a ban on public speaking at council meetings.

A Canton resident has filed a lawsuit against the city of Canton and council members, challenging a ban on public speaking at council meetings.

Canton

Daniel Gates, who recently lost a city council election in Canton, Ohio, has filed a lawsuit against the city council, mayor, and law director after the council banned public speaking at its meetings. Gates, representing himself, argues that the ban violates free speech and equal protection rights under the First and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

The council cited safety concerns, including threats and disruptive behavior, as reasons for the ban. Currently, citizens may only speak if a council member requests it and the majority agrees. Gates has stated his goal is to restore public comment for the benefit of the public, and he is awaiting a response from the city. City officials have declined to comment on the pending litigation.

Canton man files lawsuit over city council's ban on public speaking

It's just part of our democracy and the republic that we are a part of for us to be able to come and speak, whether they like it or not. Daniel Gates, who lost an election for a city council seat last month, is now suing council members over the decision to ban the public speaks portion of council meetings. I hope to get public speaks back up and running. That's the ultimate goal of it. In this lawsuit, filed by Gates without attorney representation, he names the mayor, law director and council members as defendants, and argues the elimination of the public comment in November violates free speech covered by the First Amendment and equal protection in due process under the 14th Amendment. Mainly this is for the public. This was not for me. I didn't ask for any monetary value gain. I'm actually losing money going into this. So what led to the public comment ban? Canton leaders have turned down our interview requests, but according to our news partners at the Canton Repository, council members have expressed safety concerns and hostile forums and cited online death threats, blackmailing and continuously disruptive behavior. Gates says citizens are allowed to speak if a council member requests it and the majority of council agrees. But Gates feels that's not the accessibility the public expects. How can I grieve, file a grievance with them and have all of the department heads in one spot? According to Ohio Open Meetings laws, it does not require that a public body give the public an opportunity to comment at its meetings. But if public participation is permitted, it is subject to the protections of the First and 14th Amendment. Gates says he'll keep fighting to bring back public speaks. I have to wait for their response from the city and the law department there. I reached out to the Canton City Law Department for comment, but the chief counsel told me the law department does not comment on pending litigation and that council members would also be advised not to comment. The mayor himself also not commenting. In Canton, Bob Jones, News 5.

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