Middle finger salute leads to federal lawsuit

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06073/669903.stm

A New Castle man filed a federal lawsuit yesterday claiming his free-speech rights were violated last year when he was cited for using an obscene gesture at a construction worker.

Thomas Burns had been frustrated by a traffic delay during road work on April 27, 2005, on Broadhead Road in Center Township, Beaver County. As he passed by construction workers operating the "Stop-Go," sign, he flipped them his middle finger.

That was enough to raise the ire of the workers, who radioed the incident to Center Township Police Officer Samuel J. Johns, who was parked down the road, the lawsuit said.

The officer pulled Mr. Burns over and issued him a citation for obscene disorderly conduct, which he said would arrive by mail.