Ohio Denial of ‘Gay,’ ‘Muslim’ License Plates Prompts Lawsuit

Ohio’s refusal to allow license plates saying ‘Gay’ and ‘Muslim’ is unconstitutional, a lawsuit by two drivers alleges.

William Saki and Cyrus Mahdavi are suing Charles L. Norman, Registrar of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and Andy Wilson, Director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, for violating their free speech and equal protection rights by rejecting their applications for personalized license plates.

The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, challenges the BMV’s “Special Plate Screening Guidelines” as unconstitutionally vague and overbroad, allegedly allowing for arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement.

The case highlights ...