Statement on Feucht Lawsuit Dismissal

Mayor Brown, Council President Wilkerson, and Councilmember Zappone Issue Statement on Feucht Lawsuit Dismissal

Erin Hut, Communications Director, [email protected]

Thursday, September 18, 2025 at 3:54 p.m.

A Superior Court judge on Thursday granted a motion from the City of Spokane, dismissing and ultimately finding no legal merit to multiple claims made by Mr. Sean Feucht.

In September 2023, the Spokane City Council passed a resolution denouncing former Mayor Nadine Woodward for appearing at a rally with Mr. Feucht. The court on Thursday:

• Found the resolution contained "no punitive or censorial aspect, or even a threat of potential punishment or censorship."
• Found the resolution did not burden Mr. Feucht's religious practices or free speech, and Mr. Feucht could not show that he was harmed in any way by the resolution.
• Rejected Mr. Feucht's free speech claim, stating the constitution "does not prohibit a legislative body's expression of its own views on matters of public concern, even if it includes criticism of certain ideas, individuals, or entities."
• Ruled that the City and Councilmembers were protected by legislative and qualified immunity, which also barred Mr. Feucht's claims.

Mayor Lisa Brown, Council President Betsy Wilkerson, and Councilmember Zack Zappone issued the following statement on the ruling:

"The Superior Court's thorough and clear ruling is a complete victory for the City of Spokane. Today's decision reaffirms what we have maintained all along: that there was no legal merit to Mr. Feucht's claims. At a time when extremism is on the rise, it is reassuring that the Court upheld the Constitution and our community's values."

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