HARRISBURG — After getting kicked out of a park for talking politics, Kevin Gaughen and Dave Kocur sued their Pennsylvania county — and won. Today, a federal court ordered Dauphin County and its parks and recreation department director to end an unconstitutional ban on political speech in Fort Hunter Park. Gaughen and Kocur, represented by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, filed a lawsuit against the county in January after its parks director prohibited the pair from collecting petition signatures in a public park. The order implements a condition of Gaughen’s and Kocur’s agreement to settle the lawsuit. The court’s order acknowledges that Dauphin County’s ban on political speech violated the First Amendment. The county will also pay $91,000 to settle the case.
Kevin Gaughen and Dave Kocur