Jackson Free Press

JACKSON — Concern about "naked women" on a billboard along Interstate 220 has residents demanding that the Jackson City Council do something about it—but it doesn't have the power to bring it down.

"The pictures are an abomination to the Christian community," Marla Johnes said at Tuesday night's council meeting, "and even those people who are not Christians, it is also an abomination to them."

The billboard along I-220 advertises the Black Diamonds Urban Strip Club. The club also has a location in Dallas, Texas.

Council President Melvin Priester Jr. asked the city attorney to address the issue, explaining that the City has faced the same legal question several times in the past.

"This is a First Amendment issue, and the City has been sued multiple times and expended quite an amount of money in trying to defend and pay for claims related to First Amendment violations," City Attorney Monica Joiner said.

That wasn't enough for Johnes, who asked the council what action the citizens could take. "Why haven't we taken any more action to take this down?" Johnes said. "We have rights, too. We have the right as taxpaying citizens not to want this in our community, and we can't do it without your help."

"Is money an issue? Do we need to come together and pull some money together so we can be represented properly?"

At one point, Johnes referenced the challenges in Alabama courts against the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which legalized same-sex marriage. "First Amendment rights can be overruled, if we are willing to take action to take the next step," Johnes said. "The moral of our city is on decay."

Ward 4 Councilman De'Keither Stamps said he supports Johnes' opposition to the sign, which is in his ward, adding that he had been fighting against it since it was put up.

"Ma'am, you are singing my song," Stamps said. "I am willing to sue anybody any way we can to get the sign down." He said that his children cover their eyes as they pass it.

"Whatever action we can do I am willing to support the effort to get the sign taken down, because I don't agree with it, either."

Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon asked why the sign was placed right before travelers entered the city from the east. "Tell me why that is the welcoming sign," Barrett-Simon asked. "I am curious as to why that happens."

Although the Jackson Municipal Code does contain rules restricting where in the city billboards can be placed, and clearly defines safety and height regulations, nowhere does it have a provision restricting the content of the signs, except to say that the content must not violate state or federal regulations.

"The U.S. Constitution does give certain rights to individuals, and that's under the First Amendment. We have gone down this line, and the City has paid lots of money," Joiner said.

She referenced a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals demonstration in front of the city attorney's office where a woman "with pasties" on and a man in his boxers lay on a mattress in protest.

"Literally, the police could not remove them because they had a First Amendment right to be there," Joiner said. "And so we are stuck in between trying to juggle an individual's constitutional rights and making sure that the City is adequately covered."

A previous mayor, Frank Melton, also led an anti-strip-club crusade for a time that got the City into legal hot water.

Priester cut the discussion short, indicating that the conversation might have to continue outside the meeting.

"Certain things the government can't do but organized people working together can do. Let's continue fighting in other ways," he said.

Repeated phone calls to the club were not answered by press time.

Email city reporter Tim Summers, Jr. at [email protected]. See more local news at jfp.ms/localnews.