Anti-Harassment Ordinance To Be Proposed In Cheyenne City Council

Cheyenne City Councilman Richard Johnson says he and four other council members plan to introduce an anti-harassment ordinance at Monday's meeting of the Cheyenne City Council.

Co-sponsors include council members Cook, Rinne, Esquibel, and Roybal

The ordinance reads in part as follows:

''It shall be unlawful and an offense for any person to maliciously and with the specific intent to intimidate or harass another person because of that person’s race, color, religion, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, or disability, commit any of the following acts:"

The prohibited acts include such things as destruction of property, assault, threaten, or producing content that would encourage violence

''against another person because of that person’s race, color, religion, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, or disability, broadcast, publish, or distribute, or cause or allow to be broadcast, published, or distributed, any message or material."

You can read the entire proposed ordinance below.

Violators of the ordinance would be liable for a fine of up to $750 and/or six months in jail.

When asked by Townsquare Media of Cheyenne on Wednesday morning why he felt the ordinance was needed, Johnson had the following comments;

''Many constituents have voiced concerns over the years they don't feel safe in Cheyenne and economic entities have stated that companies expressing interest to relocate here routinely ask if there are laws that protect their employees.''

When asked whether the violations outlined in the ordinance were not already covered by existing laws, Johnson had the following response: ''If you believe this ordinance is covered by other laws on the books and doesn't apply to you, there is someone you know that it does apply to, they just haven't talked to you about it.''

Johnson and Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins will appear on the ''Weekend In Wyoming" program at 12:06 on Saturday, Feb. 12 on AM 650 KGAB to discuss the ordinance.

Here is the full text of the proposed ordinance:

Malicious harassment based on race, color, religion, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, or disability.

A. It shall be unlawful and an offense for any person to maliciously and with the specific intent to intimidate or harass another person because of that person’s race, color, religion, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, or disability, commit any of the following acts: 1. Assault, batter, assault and batter of another person; 2. Damage, destroy, vandalize, deface, trespass upon, or steal any real or personal property of another person; or 3. Threaten, by word or act, to do any act prohibited by subparagraph 1. or 2. of this subsection if there is reasonable cause to believe that such act will occur.

B. It shall be unlawful and an offense for any person to maliciously and with specific intent to incite or produce, and which is likely to incite or produce, imminent violence, which violence would be directed against another person because of that person’s race, color, religion, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, or disability, make or transmit, or cause or allow to be made or transmitted, any telephonic, computerized, or electronic message.

C. It shall be unlawful and an offense for any person to maliciously and with specific intent to incite or produce, and which is likely to incite or produce, imminent violence, which violence would be directed against another person because of that person’s race, color, religion, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, or disability, broadcast, publish, or distribute, or cause or allow to be broadcast, published, or distributed, any message or material.

D. Any person violating any provision of subsection A., B. or C. of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor on a first offense and, upon conviction, shall be punished pursuant to the general provisions of Section 1.24.010 of the city code, excluding costs, fees, and assessments, or by both such fine and imprisonment.