MEDIA INQUIRIES SHOULD BE MADE VIA EMAIL TO: [email protected]
For Immediate Release
Contact: Barbara Hill
Phone: 352.552.2864
Email: [email protected]
LAKE COUNTY VOICES OF REASON FILES COMPLAINT AGAINST LAKE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OVER IMPORTATION OF CONFEDERATE STATUE
Tavares. FL. – On May 6, 2020, the Lake County Voices of Reason (LCVOR), a Lake County non-profit corporation, through its attorney, Pierre Simon, LLC, filed a complaint against the Lake County Board of County Commissioners. The complaint alleges, at a minimum, a violation of Chapter 286, Florida Statutes, “Sunshine Law,” both prior to and on or about July 30, 2019, with regard to the vote approving the installation of a confederate statue in the County’s Historical Museum.
The Sunshine Law requires all boards, subject to the law, to refrain from discussing or making decisions on any issues that may come before the Board outside of a duly noticed public meeting. The plaintiff alleges the defendants discussed the confederate statute outside public meetings before voting on July 30, 2019, thereby violating the purpose of the Sunshine Law. In addition, the curator of the Museum presented allegedly fraudulent testimony to the Board in order to obtain State approval to bring the statue to Lake County.
LCVOR President Cassandra Brown stated, “The County Commission used a flawed process to approve the installation of the General Kirby-Smith statue. We now know that it was perpetrated through a violation of the Sunshine Law and a misrepresentation of facts to the Florida Department of State.”
The controversial statue installation was opposed by all Lake County City Governments which voted on the issue. The plaintiff is requesting a declaratory judgment finding the actions of the Board to be void abinitio. Additionally, the plaintiff requests injunctive relief prohibiting the installation of the statue of a man who has no ties to Lake County, who left Florida at age 12, who was the last Confederate General to leave the field, and who after the Civil War fled the
country for Mexico.
For more information please reference the Plaintiff’s web site
www.lakecountyhistoricalmuseum.com, or contact Barbara Hill.
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