City officials in the southeastern Missouri city of Piedmont have apologized to a woman who faced retaliation after repeatedly flipping off the mayor — saying they'll try to do a better job of protecting residents' First Amendment rights.
The apology and other concessions end eight months of litigation between Piedmont and a woman named Tina Warren, who received legal help from the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri.
In April 2014, Warren found herself feuding with Piedmont Mayor William “Bill” Kirkpatrick. The conflict started out innocuously, with Warren approaching Kirkpatrick in public to ask him when city workers would get around to restoring water service to her home.…