This lawsuit was filed on behalf of Leslie Weise and Alex Young, two members of the “Denver 3” who gained national attention after White House event staffers ejected them from a March 21, 2005 event that featured an appearance by President Bush. The presidential visit was open to the public, paid for by taxpayer funds, and advertised as a town hall “conversation” on Social Security reform. The lawsuit asserts that the ACLU’s clients were kicked out because they were perceived as disagreeing with the President. The lawsuit further asserts that the expulsion of the ACLU’s clients was carried out pursuant to directions and policies formulated by federal officials.
On March 15, 2007, after court-ordered discovery revealed the names of the higher-ups responsible for ejecting Weise and Young, the ACLU filed an additional lawsuit, Weise v. Jenkins, naming three White House employees as defendants.
ACLU news releases:
- "ACLU files suit over ouster from Bush town hall meeting," ACLU News Release, November 1, 2005
- ACLU sues White House staffers for ejecting Denver residents from Bush event," ACLU News Release, March 15, 2007
- "Federal Court Upholds Exclusion of Denver Residents From Bush Speech Based on Police Expression," ACLU News Release, November 7, 2008
ACLU case number
2005-12
