ACLU responds to story about woman banned from Northgate Mall

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee(WDEF) – The Tennessee ACLU has issued a statement in response to a question that was regarding free speech and expression versus a company code of conduct.

The question was raised after a News 12 report on a woman who was fired from her job and banned from Northgate Mall after she was overheard making anti-Islamic comments and posted anti-Islamic signs on her car.

Tennessee ACLU Executive Director, Hedy Weinburg issued this statement:

Numerous Muslim individuals and groups across Tennessee have spoken out against the horrific tragedy in Chattanooga, soundly rejecting the shooter’s actions. They have stood side by side with people from many religious backgrounds at memorial vigils and raised funds for the families of the victims. So villainizing an entire group within our diverse community because of the actions of one person is unfair at best. However, everyone is entitled to his or her opinion and the First Amendment protects people’s free speech from censorship by the government. That being said, private employers can regulate speech in their place of business. 

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CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee(WDEF) – A Chattanooga woman with strong views about Islam finds herself out of a job and banned from Northgate Mall.

Heidi Grubbs was gainfully employed at the Belk department store inside Northgate Mall until a customer overheard her conversation about domestic terrorist Mohammad Abdulazeez, the shooter who killed five servicemen in Chattanooga last month.

"I made a comment specifically towards the terrorist Mohammad and his family by stating that he was a piece of sh** scum  and his family was too for killing our men. And then I was fired because I refused to apologize for it," Grubbs said.

But losing her job wasn’t the only thing she was faced with. 

"Two officers in the loss prevention office told me I was to be banned from all properties of CBL because of a sign that I have on my car."

The sign is an anti-Islamic message that she proudly stuck on her window.

"The original sign on my car states that I will sh** on your Koran; I’ll spit in the face of your Mohammad; and that Islam is a lie."

In a previous interview with Examiner.com Writer Joe Newby, Grubbs said she has been very outspoken about Islam since moving to Chattanooga from Memphis. "What happened to our soldiers" is more offensive than anything she might have written on paper, she added.

A CBL executive told News 12 that Grubbs was banned because she violated the mall code of conduct.

"It’s more to do with the vulgar language that was used. It’s not anything to do with her personal beliefs," said CBL Marketing Director Catherine Wells.

Grubbs was forced to sign a legal documents that solidified her being banned from all CBL properties for one year. And now she is threatening to take civil action because she feels her freedom or speech and expression has been violated. 

"As a whole, we should unite to protect our freedoms in America, our constitution and rights of speech. And that’s what I’m doing," Grubbs said.

News 12 contacted the ACLU office in Nashville to see if rules that govern private property supersede freedom of speech and expression, but no one was available for comment.