Activist Shaun Porter Barred from Washington County Meetings After Profanity, Mooning

According to a letter forwarded to us, Washington County officials have issued a six-month trespass order against local activist and former YouTuber Shaun Porter following a series of contentious public comments that culminated in a profanity filled speech during an April 8 Board of County Commissioners meeting. The decision comes amid broader concerns about maintaining decorum at government meetings, balanced against constitutional protections for political expression.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Originally we had no intention of covering Mr. Porter’s latest “presentation” at the County Commissioner meeting as it was not newsworthy. However, after Mr. Porter received a trespass letter from the County Attorney, we felt that escalated the situation to once again become newsworthy.

Porter, a frequent and vocal presence at county meetings, has regularly criticized local officials, particularly over issues such as the discontinuation of live-streamed public comment sessions and a pay increase granted to a county economic development director. During his most recent appearance at yesterday’s County Commissioner meeting, Porter referenced First Amendment case law while using explicit language, then proceeded to expose his buttocks in an act he described as artistic expression. This display led Commissioner President John Barr to call a recess, citing disruption.

The following day, Washington County Attorney Zach Kieffer issued a formal letter to Porter notifying him that he is prohibited from attending County Commissioner meetings for six months. The letter cites alleged disruptive behavior, including profanity, as well as the mooning incident as key reasons for the order​.

The controversy raises significant questions about the limits of free speech in public forums, and if Porter’s speech may be constitutionally protected. Legal precedent exists for protecting offensive expression under the First Amendment. In the 1971 U.S. Supreme Court case Cohen v. California, the Court ruled in favor of a man arrested for wearing a jacket bearing the phrase “F*** the Draft” in a courthouse. Justice John Marshall Harlan famously wrote that “one man’s vulgarity is another’s lyric.” Additionally, a 2006 Maryland Court decision held that mooning constitutes a form of expression protected under the First Amendment, so long as it is not sexually motivated or overtly lewd.

Despite three peace orders filed against Porter by county employees on March 20, a judge dismissed all of them on March 28, citing insufficient evidence. Representing himself, Porter successfully argued that the filings were unfounded. However, tensions escalated further when Commissioner Barr filed a defamation lawsuit against Porter on March 31, seeking over $10 million in damages related to a parody sign the activist displayed in public.

In response to ongoing disturbances by Porter, the county adopted new rules on April 8 to regulate behavior at commissioner meetings. These rules prohibit obscene, abusive, or unrelated remarks, and limit signs and video recording. According to County Attorney Zach Kieffer’s letter to Porter, those new rules were violated at the April 8, 2025 meeting.

A copy of the trespass letter is below.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Previously I wrote about my concerns that the county was potentially opening itself up to a civil rights lawsuit regarding the new public comment rules. Only time will tell if Mr. Porter decides to challenge the legality of this trespass order, or where he will now air his grievances regarding the County Commissioners. The case also increasingly mirrors that of the Federal lawsuit regarding Surprise, Arizona.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from Washington County Government, court documents, and previous coverage.

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