GT County Settles Clous Lawsuit for $100K

Grand Traverse County has settled a lawsuit brought against former Commissioner Ron Clous, who was sued by resident Keli (Patricia) Macintosh for a First Amendment violation over a 2021 incident in which Clous displayed a rifle during a virtual meeting while she was giving public comment. County commissioners have approved a $100,000 settlement with Macintosh, which will be covered by municipal insurance.

Macintosh was speaking during public comment at the commission's January 20, 2021 meeting about violence in the U.S. Capitol and the presence of Proud Boys at the event - with Macintosh asking commissioners to condemn the violence and extremist group - when Clous retrieved a rifle and briefly held it up to the camera (pictured). County commissioners later deadlocked on a resolution to censure Clous for the incident, with the tie vote causing the motion to fail. Macintosh then filed suit against the county and Clous. Clous opted not to seek reelection to the commission in 2022 but ran a quiet race for drain commissioner last year, which he lost in the primary to incumbent Andy Smits.

The lawsuit has dragged out for several years, with County Administrator Nate Alger telling commissioners in January the case was still in the discovery phase. He said a settlement conference was planned to take place before May 5, when a jury trial was scheduled to begin. In addition to the $100,000 settlement approved by commissoners, Clous reportedly wrote an apology to Macintosh.