By Edmond Ortiz
Castle Hills City Council voted Oct. 14 to ratify a settlement agreement with former Councilmember Sylvia Gonzalez, ending a lawsuit that she originally filed against the city five years ago.
What’s happened
City officials approving the settlement agreement comes 16 months after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on her case and declared that government officials cannot arrest their political critics without consequences.
Gonzalez, who was elected to the Castle Hills council in 2019, helped to spearhead a petition drive, calling for the removal of the then-city manager over accusations that the town’s top appointed official mistreated city employees and neglected city services.
At one council meeting, fellow city officials claimed that Gonzalez briefly held a hard copy of the petition with her copies of other formal city business paperwork. The allegation led to her being arrested and briefly held in jail, but city prosecutors later dismissed the charge.
However, Gonzalez filed a suit, claiming the arrest and other city government actions were a form of retaliation for her criticism of city leadership.
The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Institute of Justice took up Gonzalez’s suit, calling it a case where the plaintiff’s First Amendment right of free speech was threatened by the city.
The U.S. Supreme Court last year ruled that courts can review objective evidence, such as unusual, selective enforcement, to prove an arrest was politically charged retaliation. The Supreme Court then sent the case back to a lower court, opening an opportunity for Gonzalez and the city to settle the lawsuit.
What you should know
Representatives between the city and the Institute of Justice arrived at two requirements to resolve Gonzalez’s suit:
*City officials will undergo training on First Amendment retaliation. IJ officials said they will work with the Texas Municipal League to offer statewide training on First Amendment retaliation to more than 1,100 Texas cities.
*The city will pay Gonzalez $500,000 in damages; Castle Hills officials said no city funds will be used to pay the damages.
What they’re saying
Gonzalez said she feels vindicated, and her lawsuit demonstrates that government officials must be held accountable for their words and actions.
“It’s been more than five years, and today I can finally breathe. I never wanted to end up in a Supreme Court fight, but I kept going because what happened to me shouldn’t happen to anyone,” Gonzalez said in a statement. “Those who went after me have been held accountable. I’m proud that this win will make it easier for ordinary people to stand up when officials try to punish them for speaking out.”
Castle Hills Mayor J.R. Trevino said he and fellow city leaders have always felt that claims in Gonzalez’s suit were unfounded. He also said the city is satisfied that all defendants named in the case were dismissed, and that the settlement was reached without an admission of fault on the city’s part.
Trevino thanked city staffers, who he said endured lots of negative scrutiny over the lawsuit, for their patience and perseverance.
“The settlement is in the best interests of the city, bringing closure to a long and trying chapter for our community,” Trevino said in a statement. “We now look forward to moving ahead with a renewed focus on unity, exceptional service, and continuing our work to strengthen the qualities that make Castle Hills such a remarkable place, and ensuring the city advances and thrives.”
