State Sued After Removing Marker Dedicated To Communist Party Leader

State Sued After Removing Marker Dedicated To Communist Party Leader

Brandon Poulter on August 7, 2023

Supporters of a historical landmark sued New Hampshire after the state had the sign taken down, according to the AP.

The sign was originally erected in Concord, New Hampshire and was dedicated to Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, who was also a founder of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and  was a chair for the Communist Party, according to the AP. Mary Lee Sargent, an American history teacher and activist Arnold Alpert sued the state, after it took down the historical marker, which was put up two weeks earlier on May 1 in Concord.

Here’s the new historic marker for Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, “The Rebel Girl,” that was installed in Concord, sparking pointed criticism from 2 executive councilors. Governor signaled plans to look into how these signs are approved. #nhgov #nhpolitics pic.twitter.com/dVgz8vOPFr

— Steven Porter (@reporterporter) May 3, 2023

Flynn was convicted under the Smith Act in 1953 for conspiring to advocate the forcible overthrow of the U.S. government, according to The New York Times.

Republican members of the Executive Council, a five-member body that approves state contracts and judicial nominees argued the sign was inappropriate and Republican New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu agreed, according to the AP. Sununu then called for a review of the historical marker process, and it was removed in consultation with the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

“The marker was illegally removed based on ideological considerations that fly in the face of the historical marker program’s purpose,” Sargent told the AP.

“We will review the complaint and respond as appropriate in court in due course,” Michael Garrity, spokesperson for the New Hampshire attorney general’s office told the AP.

The New Hampshire attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation.