The Haines Borough could soon find itself embroiled in another lawsuit.
Residents Sue Waterhouse and Paul Nelson have enlisted the help of Juneau-based law firm Baxter Bruce and Sullivan following a June 29 incident that resulted in the pair being banned from the administration building.
Police issued a verbal “no trespass” order to Waterhouse and Nelson following an alleged threatening interaction between the two and former planning and zoning technician Tracy Cui.
In a July 25 letter to the borough clerk and borough attorney Patrick Munson, Waterhouse and Nelson’s attorney Daniel Bruce called the no-trespass instruction “arbitrary and capricious,” violating the right to due process and equal protection.
“The borough’s actions have been malicious and have defamed Mr. Nelson and Ms. Waterhouse and caused significant distress to them. Mr. Nelson and Ms. Waterhouse demand an immediate public apology from the borough and immediate public retraction of the misstatements about them,” Bruce wrote.
Nelson and Waterhouse are also demanding compensation for attorney fees.
Borough attorney Munson is preparing a response.