Don Lemon is a defendant in a lawsuit filed by a Minnesota woman who is suing the journalist and other protestors for her alleged emotional harm for their January 18 demonstration at The Cities Church.
The event took place at The Cities Church, in St. Paul, Minnesota where the plaintiff, Ann Doucette, claims her ability to worship freely was disrupted.
The demonstration was held in the wake of Renee Good’s death. The protestors then entered the church with intent to confront the Cities Church pastor David Easterwood, who is a Minneapolis ICE official.
In court documents obtained by TMZ, Doucette claims she was attending the January 18 worship service when she alleges Lemon and others “unlawfully interfered” with her ability to “freely exercise her religion in a private place of worship.”
Doucette is suing for an unspecified amount, claiming she suffered “severe emotional distress, fear, anxiety, and trauma” as a result of the protesters’ conduct.
The filing also indicate that one protester acknowledged helping Lemon with “logistics and local contacts in support of the operation.”
According to the documents, Don “appeared to take satisfaction in the disruption” as he livestreamed portions of the event.
Lemon has maintained that they were not participating in the protest at the church but were reporting on the incident as journalists.
“It may have started with people having their due process rights violated on the streets, violently violated on the streets. But now they’re trying to silence journalists. And I will not be silenced,” Lemon said on his show.
On Jan 29, Lemon, 59, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to deprive rights and interfering with religious freedoms by allegedly obstructing someone’s First Amendment rights by force.
Lemon was released the following day on his own recognizance. His defense attorneys agreed he would have no contact with known witnesses, victims or co-defendants. Under the conditions set by the court, Lemon must get approval for any foreign travel.