A Minnesota woman has filed a lawsuit against former CNN anchor Don Lemon and a group of protesters, alleging they caused her emotional distress when they entered her church during a January service, according to a report from TMZ.
Ann Doucette claims in court documents that Lemon and the demonstrators “unlawfully interfered” with her right to “freely exercise her religion in a private place of worship” when they entered The Cities Church in St. Paul on Jan. 18. The protest was reportedly tied to opposition to federal immigration enforcement efforts.
Doucette alleges she suffered “severe emotional distress, fear, anxiety, and trauma” as a result of the incident and is seeking an unspecified amount in damages.
Lemon and a group of anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protesters went to the church following the shooting death of Renee Good. The demonstrators sought to confront the church’s pastor, who they believed had connections to law enforcement agencies. Lemon livestreamed the event on YouTube and acknowledged during the broadcast, “It’s uncomfortable and traumatic for the people here, but that’s really … that’s what protesting is about.”
In late January, the Department of Justice charged Lemon with alleged violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and the Ku Klux Klan Act. According to the DOJ, the protest was part of what prosecutors described as a “clandestine operation” called “Operation Pullup,” during which defendants allegedly “oppressed, threatened, and intimidated” churchgoers and the pastor.
Federal prosecutors have indicted Lemon and others on multiple counts, including conspiracy to interfere with religious freedom at a house of worship and violations of the FACE Act.
The FACE Act prohibits interference with access to abortion services and also protects individuals exercising their First Amendment right to religious freedom at places of worship, including churches, synagogues, and mosques.
Lemon was later arrested in Los Angeles in connection with the charges. He described the arrest as stemming from “an act of journalism.”
His attorney, Abbe Lowell, criticized the case as an attack on press freedom. (RELATED: Don Lemon Released But Still Faces Federal Civil Rights Charges)
“Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los Angeles,” Lowell said in a statement. “Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done.”
Lowell accused the Justice Department of targeting Lemon instead of focusing on recent fatal shootings involving federal agents in Minnesota, including the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. He called the prosecution “an unprecedented attack on the First Amendment.”
Prosecutors, however, allege the demonstrators disrupted a church service during the Jan. 18 protest and contend that Lemon’s livestreaming and reporting went beyond mere observation.
The civil lawsuit filed by Doucette is separate from the federal criminal case and seeks damages for the emotional harm she says she experienced as a result of the protest.
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Most Excellent. Lemon is a buffoon & a trouble-maker; He should be sued PERSONALLY for his actions & forced out of the reporting business
He’s always more interested in the sensationalism than the truth or the facts.
Actions have consequences as the saying goes. Don Lemon and the others have to answer for their actions in a court of law.