A Jacksonville woman is speaking out after she was handcuffed and escorted out of a City Council meeting for wearing a shirt supporting a candidate for U.S. Congress.
Nancy Murrey-Settle says her First Amendment rights were violated when she was removed from Tuesday’s meeting for wearing a shirt supporting L.J. Holloway, a congressional candidate.
“I tried to say that’s my right as a citizen. This is an example of free expression which is protected by our First Amendment constitutional rights,” Murrey-Settle said.
Murrey-Settle said she regularly attends City Council meetings and previously was told she could not speak while wearing the shirt. She said she turned it inside out at the time and later emailed the council president to express her concerns about her constitutional rights.
On Tuesday, she wore the shirt again.
Video from the meeting shows an officer approaching Murrey-Settle shortly before the public comment period began. She was later escorted out of the council chambers.
“I was told I had to leave and I said that I believed it was my right to be there,” Murrey-Settle said.
City officials explain rules
Following her removal, Council President Nick Howland asked Michael Fackler with the city’s Office of General Counsel to explain the rules that led to the incident.
“Was the individual warned and was she given the opportunity to change or cover the candidate information,” President Howland asked Fackler.
“I was stationed outside to make sure that we were able to fully inform people who were coming in of those 2 rules and the options they were provided. I explained they were able to speak if they covered up the shirt,” Fackler replied.
Fackler said two rules applied to the meeting: a City Council rule prohibiting political campaigning or electioneering during meetings and a city code provision restricting political activity in public spaces where people are working.
He told council members that Murrey-Settle was given the option to cover the candidate’s name on her shirt and still speak.
Council Rule 4.505 identifies political campaigning or electioneering regarding a specific candidate or group of candidates in city elections as a form of disruption. The rule allows a person to be removed from a meeting and states that anyone who refuses to leave the council chambers may be subject to arrest.
The incident prompted a reaction from people in attendance.
“I can’t believe that we just watched a woman get arrested,” Jacksonville resident Teagan Belloit said during public comment. Belloit was arrested at another council meeting in 2025 for resisting an officer, but the charge was later dropped.
Murrey-Settle plans to plead not guilty
Murrey-Settle was handcuffed, placed in a police car and given a citation to appear in court. She said she faces charges of trespassing and resisting arrest and plans to plead not guilty.
Murrey-Settle said she believes wearing a candidate’s shirt is a form of “passive expression” and maintains that she did nothing wrong.
“I love my country, I love Jacksonville, and it would have been easy for me to comply on Tuesday and leave, but I’m seeing our rights being diminished,” she said.
Murrey-Settle said police told her she could not return to the meeting that evening but did not prohibit her from attending future council meetings.
Her case will now proceed through the court system.