A woman in Arizona has filed a lawsuit against Bullhead City after she was arrested for feeding homeless people.
Norma Thornton, 78, was arrested in March for violating an ordinance that requires anyone who participates in food-sharing events at public parks to have a permit.
However, attorneys at the Institute for Justice that filed Thornton’s lawsuit on Tuesday noted that obtaining a permit was “extremely burdensome” due to requirements like $1 million in liability insurance and permit time restrictions.
“Several days a week, Norma would share her wholesome, complete, hot meals in the public park with anyone who asked, including people experiencing homelessness and low-income people who live nearby,” Thornton’s lawyers wrote in the document.
“Norma would provide plates and utensils, and she would always ensure that she left the area clean. Norma hoped that her efforts would not only keep people alive but also help them turn things around. Moreover, Norma hoped her example could inspire her community to do more to help those in need.”
Instead, Thornton’s attorneys claimed her 14th Amendment rights were violated when she was arrested for feeding homeless people.
“The prohibition violates her right to engage in charitable acts and to share food with the needy, which is protected by the Due Process and Privileges or Immunities clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,” attorneys for the organization stated in the lawsuit.
“The disparate treatment between people sharing food for charitable purposes and people sharing food for non-charitable purposes also violates her right to equal protection, which is protected by the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.”
In a statement, Bullhead City Mayor Tom Brady noted that there were other ways to help those in need.
“Individuals are free to serve food to any homeless person at their place of residence, church, or private property. Our ordinance applies to public parks only,” Brady said.
The city code states that the purpose of the ordinance is to “protect public health, safety, and welfare.”
However, Institute of Justice Attorney Diana Simpson suggested Bullhead City has “criminalized kindness” and believes Thornton’s lawsuit will protect the right to engage in charity.
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