A woman, who Longview Mayor Spencer Boudreau is seeking an anti-harassment order against, says she is exercising her free speech.
Cowlitz County District Court Commissioner David Nelson is scheduled to decide next week whether to OK the permanent order barring interaction between the two.
Boudreau is requesting that Stacey Green, of Longview, maintain a physical distance from him and his family, and remove a Facebook page he said she manages and uses to harass him.
Boudreau's temporary protection order against Green will remain in effect until Nelson's decision.
Free speech or harassment?
Boudreau, 25, laid out multiple instances in his Sept. 16 anti-harassment petition and during Monday's Cowlitz County District Court hearing for why the order is necessary.
In the petition's filing, Boudreau writes that he fears Green's stalking and harassment might escalate towards violence against either himself or his family. He writes that Green has been harassing him for months on social media, stalking him, verbally harassing him in person, and spreading rumors.
He outlines four alleged incidents from July to August, one in which Green called him a rapist, wife beater, child beater, and a piece of s--t in front of multiple people on July 29 while his kids and other people were waving signs.
Boudreau alleges that Green made one of his kids cry when she cursed at him and called him names with a megaphone on Labor Day while he was dropping off mail in his car.
Boudreau writes that Green followed him during Longview Police's National Night Out on Aug. 5 at Archie Anderson Park, recording him, making faces and posting mocking comments on social media.
During Monday's hearing, Green denied she approached him at the police department's event.
Days after that event, Boudreau writes that Green spotted him in the Triangle Center parking lot and followed him until he left, according to the petition.
The petition also says Green encouraged people to camp near Boudreau's home.
At Monday's hearing, Green said she sarcastically posted that remark after the city of Longview recently closed a tiny home shelter called HOPE Village.
Green also said permitting Boudreau's protection order would limit her free speech and ability to attend Longview government events where Boudreau is present.
“I believe this order is being used as a political weapon to silence me and prevent me from exercising my constitutional right to free speech as a resident of Longview,” Green said.
However, she confirmed she cannot vote on city issues because she lives outside the district.
In court filings, Boudreau lists Green's age as 45. Green declined to talk to The Daily News to confirm.
Boudreau also alleges Green runs the Facebook page "I believe the Mayor of Longview's ex-wife."
The page had 248 followers as of Tuesday afternoon. Its cover photo includes a hand-drawn sign that reads "Longview's mayor abused his wife."
A direct message to the page was not answered as of Tuesday afternoon.
Both Boudreau and his ex-wife — Lauren Devening, 23, of Longview — filed protection orders against one another in late January, making allegations of spousal and child abuse against each other.
The allegations did not produce any criminal charges, and the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office says the investigation into the alleged crimes has ended.
Still, the Facebook page in question continues to post about the allegations.
Devening also provided a statement in Boudreau's petition saying an unnamed Facebook group is sharing information from her divorce proceedings that has been taken out of context and used in a “harmful way towards our family."
Devening writes that she and Boudreau try, separately, not to be alone in public with the kids because of these issues.
On Monday, Nelson asked Boudreau if Green had a right to maintain the Facebook page under the First Amendment.
“I think there's a line between free speech and harassment of someone (about) a private matter," he answered.
When asked where the line should be placed, Boudreau said, "I would place the line on whether or not someone was charged or convicted of something."
Longview City Councilmember Erik Halvorson, 30, also sought an anti-harassment order against Green. The order was filed in September in Cowlitz County Superior Court and also states Green encouraged people on social media to camp outside his home.
Halvorson's petition was denied that month due to nonappearance, according to court records.
