The town has apparently agreed to pay Rebecca Willis $275,000 in exchange for settling litigation over the town's ban of Willis from the Marshall Community Center, a local hangout. The ban was in place because other patrons complained about Willis' dirty dancing.
Eight years ago, at the age of 56, Rebecca Willis was accused of gyrating and simulating sexual intercourse with her partner while dancing. At the time she was allegedly wearing a skirt so short it exposed her underwear. Rebecca considers her dancing "exuberant and flamboyant" but not obscene.
Rebecca Willis gets $275,000 and she agrees to never return to the community center.
Twice in the past five years the Rebecca Willis case had gone before a federal district court judge and twice before the court of appeals. In May a three-judge panel of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals said it could proceed to trial on the question of whether the town violated Willis’ Constitutional right to equal protection under the 14th Amendment by banning her from the town's public music arena. The staff claimed that they banned her because she had acted in an obscene manner, showing her underwear and dancing crudely. Willis contended that she was dancing appropriately.
Rebecca's attorney was Jon Sasser. The American Civil Liberties Union announced the settlement Thursday. Larry Leake, the attorney for the town, believes that the town did nothing wrong. But Willis said in a statement that the settlement sends a message that the town should allow for diversity and free expression.
To the town of Marshall, just be thankful that Rebecca Willis is not a teacher dancing in front of students.
Reported by Legal Pub. http://legalpublication.blogspot.com/
