Fountain Hills suspends public comment; mayor accused of promoting religion – AZ Family

FOUNTAIN HILLS, AZ (AZFamily) — An East Valley town council has suspended public comment and member statements after it reviewed a complaint alleging the mayor promoted Christianity during a meeting earlier this year.
The Fountain Hills Town Council has suspended its Call the the Public and council members’ personal statements for six months after it was accused of proselytizing.
A Notice of Claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, was submitted by a Fountain Hills resident, accusing the council of pushing religion in violation of the Arizona Constitution during its Sept. 16 meeting.
In filings, the resident said Mayor Gerry Friedel allowed a pastor to eulogize Charlie Kirk after his assassination, promote the Christian religion and “invoke the Christian tenet that only ‘believers’ would be saved”; a eulogy that was held before the scheduled “moment of reflection.”
Specifically, the claim notes that during time reserved for councilmembers to update on town-related activities, the mayor, Vice-Mayor Allen Skillicorn and councilmember Hannah Larabee used that time to also eulogize Kirk, push Christian religious beliefs, read from scripture and “invoked demons, Hell and salvation” in pushing their beliefs.
Then, during the time allotted for public comment, the mayor allowed a citizen to eulogize Kirk, promote his Christian beliefs and attack the “radical left.”
Therefore, the resident alleges that Mayor Friedel failed to fulfill his duty to uphold the Arizona and United States constitutions, making no effort to intervene during public comment or to ensure the meeting adhered to a secular agenda.
After the claim was submitted, the town council decided at its Nov. 18 meeting to suspend public comment sessions and personal statements by council members for six months, as its procedures undergo review.
The notice asked the Town of Fountain Hills to pay a total of $1,000, issue a public apology for constitutional violations, and provide formal training for all council members on the limitations of their speech in an official capacity.
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