An El Sobrante man is suing Contra Costa County, claiming the county violated his free speech rights after he was ordered to remove numerous signs on his property, including some that contained swastikas. The county says the displays violated their sign ordinance, but the ACLU says the county’s actions violate the constitution. “He had the American flag upside down, he had some Nazi flags a little while ago, and he would put a bunch of racist stuff up,” said Emily Rance, a 13-year-old seventh grader. Rance described the flags and signs that lined the property of the house right across the street from her school for months. “There was a Jewish flag, and it was crossed out, and he would put hail Hitler on his stuff, so a lot of people that came here that were Jewish were really disrespected,” she said. “Those signs were not good to look at, it did not feel comfortable,” said David Lama, a parent. After getting numerous complaints in 2023, the county inspected the property and ordered the signs removed. The county says it was not because of their content, but because the signs and flags violated the county sign ordinance. “It had to do with the fact that this resident had multiple sign poles, flag poles, and exceeded the limitations that are in the sign ordinance,” said Contra Costa Conty Supervisor John Gioia. According to the sign ordinance, residents can only have one flagpole and three flags per lot. Signs on fences are prohibited and so are freestanding signs within 1000 feet of a school, playground or park. “Putting up signs on one’s private property is a very unique form of speaking and it’s one that the Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that’s a classic example of a first amendment protected expression,” said Shaila Nathu with ACLU. The ACLU says the county’s ordinance is flawed and wrongly denies residents of their constitutional right to express themselves. And now  ACLU has filed a federal lawsuit against Contra Costa County on behalf of their client, retired school teacher, Davi Luks. “Davi had some controversial symbols in his signs, but regardless of why he included them on his signs, those symbols are protected expression of the first amendment,” Nathu said. The county maintains its ordinance is lawful, but the ACLU says Luks wants the county to reimburse the $4300 fine he paid and he wants to put his signs and flags back up. ...read more read less