Los Angeles City Council Implements Language Ban
The Los Angeles City Council has decided to prohibit the use of the N and C words by speakers during meetings, as of Wednesday.
This decision follows years of disruptive comments from various speakers targeting officials based on their weight, sexual orientation, or gender, often accompanied by racial slurs.
Initially, speakers will receive a warning regarding their language; if they persist in using offensive terms, they may be removed from the meeting and could face bans from future sessions.
Markey Harris Dawson, the Black Council President, expressed that such language can discourage community participation. He remarked earlier this year, “It’s hurtful when you say these things in public, especially outside this building where there are no armed guards.”
Some legal experts suggest the council’s move could face legal challenges. A notable case from 2014 involved the city compensating a Black man $215,000 after he was ejected from a meeting for wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood and a shirt with a racial slur.
Attorney Wayne Spindler, a frequent user of offensive language at council meetings, announced his intention to sue the city over the ban. He indicated that he would continue to recite explicit lyrics from Tupac Shakur until he is removed from the meeting.
“I’m preparing to file a $400 million lawsuit. If I want to become a billionaire, I’m all for this,” he stated publicly on Wednesday.
Spindler was previously arrested in 2016 after submitting a public comment card featuring a burning cross and an image of a man hanging from a tree. He referred to then-Council President Herb Wesson in a derogatory manner, but the prosecutor chose not to file charges against him.
Armando Hermann, another regular at city council meetings, attended the vote on Wednesday. Earlier this month, he claimed the council was attempting to limit his speech, even using derogatory terms in reference to himself and the officials present.
A judge in 2023 barred Hermann from attending open meetings at the Kenneth Hearn Management Hall of Fame due to allegations of sending inappropriate emails to four female supervisors. He had refused to provide an email response.
Many council members have voiced their opposition to the new rules, arguing they infringe on freedom of speech. Stacey Segara Bohringer, a member of the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council, criticized the decision, stating, “It’s weak to limit everyone’s freedom of speech. You know this could lead to a lawsuit.” She had also previously interrupted her comments by singing during council meetings.
