A federal lawsuit filed by The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and the Illinois State Rifle Association seeks to overthrow the East St. Louis Housing Authority’s ban on residents of government-subsidized properties being in possession of firearms.
Glen Ellyn attorney David Sigale is serving as counsel for the plaintiffs in the litigation, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois on behalf of “N. Doe,” a resident who wishes to keep her identity secret because she is “hiding from a violent domestic abuser,” an Illinois State Rifle Association release said.
The suit seeks an injunction against enforcing the ban at Auburn Terrace, one of the area’s public housing facilities.
Alan Gottlieb
“This isn’t the first time we’ve had to challenge such a regulation,” SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb said in the release. “It is simply unacceptable for citizens living in public housing to be denied their basic right to have a firearm for personal protection, and in this case, it is unconscionable.”
The suit alleges violations of the Second and 14th amendments of those residing at the property.
“This situation is ... outrageous considering what has happened to Ms. Doe while living at her home,” Gottlieb said in the release. “We’ve explained how she was beaten and raped in January 2017, and her children stopped the attack only by threatening to use a gun. On two other occasions, Ms. Doe had to call police due to shootings in nearby residences. When the housing authority threatened to terminate her lease due to the gun in the residence, they insisted that the building is safe, so she doesn’t need a gun.”
Alerts Sign-up