TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — A legal dispute in Michigan has concluded with a settlement concerning a former official who brandished a rifle during an online public meeting conducted via Zoom amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Patricia MacIntosh had filed a lawsuit claiming that Ron Clous attempted to suppress her right to free speech after he exhibited a rifle during a 2021 session of the Grand Traverse County commissioners.
Last week, the county reached an agreement with MacIntosh to settle the lawsuit for $100,000, according to the Traverse City Record-Eagle. The payment, covered by insurance, was finalized with an apology from Clous, who no longer serves as a commissioner.
“I acknowledge that although not intentional, my actions involving the rifle might reasonably have made you feel uneasy or threatened, and for that, I offer my apologies,” Clous stated.
The event took place during a virtual meeting period enforced by the pandemic when public engagements were conducted via video conferencing. During a session of public commentary, MacIntosh encouraged the board to denounce anti-government extremists, shortly after the upheaval at the U.S. Capitol.
While participating from home, Clous stepped away from the camera momentarily and returned with a firearm in view.
Following payment of legal expenses, MacIntosh indicated her intention to utilize the remaining funds potentially for establishing a scholarship.
She expressed that she would not have pursued legal action had Clous simply acknowledged the inappropriateness of his conduct by saying, “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how stupid this was.”