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Lawsuit filed against various Wis. health leaders over stay-at-home orders

Posted at 12:55 PM, May 21, 2020
and last updated 2020-05-21 14:46:40-04

WISCONSIN — A lawsuit has been filed against the City of Racine Public Health Director, City of Milwaukee Health Commissioner, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and several other state and county leaders over various stay-at-home orders issued in several areas of the state.

The lawsuit said that Director Dottie-Kay Bowersox, Health Commissioner Jeanette Kowalik, Gov. Evers and several other county and state leaders "promulgated and enforced unlawful local COVID-19 lockdown orders."

The lawsuit, filed by 17 individuals who were from various parts of the state and a mix of business owners and residents, said that the orders forced them to close their businesses "under threat of imprisonment" and "forego their rights to free speech and religious exercise."

The lawsuit was filed by 17 individuals in a variety of roles in the community.

  • Blong Yang, business owner in Outagamie County
  • Jay Schroeder, registered with the Wisconsin Elections Commission in anticipation of the August 11, 2020 primary election as a candidate for the 55th Wisconsin State Assembly District representing the Town-City of Neenah, Village of Fox Crossing, Partial Towns of Clayton, Dale, Greenville, Grand Chute, and parts of the City of Appleton
  • Madison Marie Elmer, organizer of a freedom rally on April 24 at the State Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin
  • Paul Martin Driftmier, business owner in Dane County
  • Angela Ray Haug, business owner in Dane County
  • Kelly Lynn McElwain, employee of a Dane County business
  • Rev. Daniel Jay Quakkelaar, pastor of a Milwaukee County church
  • Eric Thomas Skelton, Green County resident
  • Sandra K. Morris, Racine County resident
  • Alexandra Carney Schweitzer, Waukesha County business owner
  • Jestin Korleski, musician in Rock County
  • Lenae Lenore Gilbertson, Rock County resident
  • Jaime Lynn Westcomb, Rock County resident
  • Jenny Leigh Turkelson, Green County resident
  • Anna Alethia Manning, Dane County resident
  • Thomas Wulf, Door County resident
  • Cindy Werner, intends to run for federal office for the 4th U.S. Congressional District, representing areas of the City of Milwaukee

The lawsuit was filed against the following leaders:

  • Susan Powers, Door County Health Officer
  • Mary Dorn, Outagamie County Health Officer
  • Douglas Gieryn, Winnebago County Health Officer
  • Kurt Eggebrecht, City of Appleton Health Officer
  • Greg Peterson, Chief of the Town of Grand Chute Police Department
  • Daniel Blackdeer, Deputy Chief of the Wisconsin State Capitol Police
  • Janel Heinrich, Public Health Officer of Madison and Dane County
  • Marie-Noel Sandoval, Rock County Health Officer
  • RoAnn Warden, Green County Public Health Officer
  • Dottie-Kay Bowersox, City of Racine Public Health Director
  • Jeanette Kowalik, City of Milwaukee Commissioner of Health
  • Sanjib Bhattacharyya, City of Milwaukee Special Deputy Health Commissioner
  • Anthony S. Evers, Governor of the State of Wisconsin
  • Andrea Palm, Secretary-Designee of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services
  • Marge Bostelmann, Julie M. Glancey, Ann S. Jacobs, Dean Knudson, Robert F. Spindell, Jr., Mark L. Thomsen, and Meagan Wolfe, Commissioners and Administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission

The state's Safer at Home order was struck down by the Wisconsin State Supreme Court on May 13, but several cities and counties developed a form of the order for their municipalities.

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