A Parish, Florida man has sued his neighbor because she allegedly mangled the pole of a flag that disparaged President Joe Biden.
Tony Leviski, who is retired, sued Mary Murphy in small claims court last month asking for $15 in damages, plus a court filing fee of $105.
“It's the principle of the matter,” Leviski told the Florida Record. “She came on my property. You can't come on my property and damage something. I have rights.”
Although Leviski doesn’t consider himself to be ultra political, he said he doesn’t agree with much of Biden’s policies, which is why he staked the flag on his property displaying a photo of former President Trump.
“When Trump was president, I didn't agree with a lot of stuff he said but he ran the government good,” Leviski said. “I don't like anything Biden is doing. I’m sure most people don't. I have a son in the Coast Guard who is at South Padre Island in Texas on the Rio Grande right now, and his hands are tied. He knows less than I know about the illegals coming in over the border.”
Murphy and Leviski reside in the Harrison Ranch HOA in Manatee County, three doors apart, according to Leviski.
“It was September 30th and I was working all day in the house putting tile up until about 3:30 in the afternoon, when I got done and decided to cut the grass because I didn’t have anything to do the next day, which was Friday,” he said. “I put my F-Biden flag in the yard for about two hours.”
Leviski said he had planned to put the flag away after he’d finished his lawn work that day, but while mowing the grass on the side of his home, he noticed that someone had damaged his flag.
“The pole is all mangled and I'm trying to straighten it out then I see Mary at her neighbor's house, smiling,” he said.
A confrontation ensued in which Leviski told Murphy that he had a freedom of speech right to post the flag on his lawn.
“She kept telling me that I'm drinking the Kool-Aid,” he said. “I don't know what that means until I found out later that it's a political thing. So, I called and made a report with the county sheriff. I haven't talked to her since."
Leviski said that fortunately a neighbor nearby had caught the alleged vandalism on video.
“We had a Zoom court hearing a few weeks ago and it lasted about a minute because she denied the allegation so now we’ll go to a mediation trial on November 30th,” Leviski added. “We'll mediate but just give me my $120 and we’re good.”
Attempts to reach Murphy have been unsuccessful.