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After a string of controversial event reservations earlier this year, Fort Worth leaders have rolled out a new policy regulating the types of events residents and private organizations may host at city-owned facilities.

The new policy overturns the city鈥檚 held on city property. Moving forward, the city 鈥渕ay not adopt regulations pertaining to a speaker鈥檚 viewpoint or the content of the event,鈥� Assistant City Manager Jesica McEachern wrote in a Sept. 23 email to City Council members obtained by the Report.

The city has classified community center and library meeting rooms as 鈥渄esignated public forums,鈥� barring them from content-based restrictions, according to the email. With the new designation, regulations on renting the spaces will be limited to an event鈥檚 time, place and manner.

鈥淎llowing all viewpoints to speak where they are legally allowed to speak is not the same as the city supporting the viewpoint 鈥� the city is supporting the First Amendment,鈥� McEachern, who oversees the park and recreation department, wrote in the email.

McEachern鈥檚 email included a note from the city鈥檚 attorney鈥檚 office, which stated that the government can鈥檛 constrain free speech, and 鈥渉ate speech is free speech.鈥�

A posted to the city鈥檚 website did not detail changes to the facility rental policy, but said the review 鈥渞eaffirms a commitment to free speech while preserving a welcoming environment.鈥� City staff will begin accepting facility rental applications for use of community centers and libraries Oct. 1 after this summer, according to the statement.

In a written statement to the Report, Mayor Mattie Parker said she is a 鈥渟taunch supporter鈥� of the First Amendment who believes it鈥檚 鈥渁lways best to err on the side of constitutional rights.鈥�

鈥淭he decision made by city management was driven by a commitment to uphold constitutional rights, and I support their decision,鈥� Parker said. 鈥淭he safety, security and welcoming nature of our community spaces are always paramount, and I have confidence that city management and the city attorney鈥檚 office have carefully balanced these priorities while respecting the First Amendment.鈥�

The Report contacted all council members for their thoughts on the new policy. Council member Gyna Bivens declined to comment, saying she had not yet read the policy.

Council member Chris Nettles said the update may give residents the impression that the city supports the controversial content some event holders promote. He wants them to know that approving event reservation applications does not equate to city leadership endorsing an event鈥檚 content, but he understands and shares their concerns.

鈥淚 support the original policy,鈥� Nettles said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important that we are not discriminatory, that we don鈥檛 allow programming in our facilities that would promote or disinclude individuals of our communities.鈥�

Council member Michael Crain described the updated policy as a 鈥渞ededication to people鈥檚 First Amendment rights.鈥�

鈥淲e live in a rule of law country, and I鈥檓 very respectful of the rule of law 鈥� the law has said this is what free speech looks like and what it is,鈥� Crain said. 鈥淛ust because I personally, or you personally, or someone else personally doesn鈥檛 agree with what that speech is, people still have a right to it 鈥� on both sides of whatever the issue might be. Once we start limiting what that is, it鈥檚 a very slippery slope.鈥�

Previously, Fort Worth鈥檚 specified that groups that practice or profess discrimination on the basis of sex and other identity markers aren鈥檛 allowed to book events at city-owned community centers.

The updated policy comes months after city leaders faced heightened scrutiny for approving event reservations from local conservative activist groups. Parker tasked staff with updating event reservation policies after on 鈥淭he Dangers of Transgenderism鈥� planned by Texas Latinos United for Conservative Action, or LUCA. Carlos Turcios, director of the organization, did not immediately return a request for comment.

In July, the Tarrant County-based True Texas Project earned statewide headlines for hosting a conference at the city-owned Fort Worth Botanic Garden featuring sessions on 鈥淭he War On White America,鈥� 鈥淭he Case For Christian Nationalism鈥� and 鈥淕reat Replacement Theory.鈥� The group, formerly known as the Northeast Tarrant Tea Party, has appeared on a .

Local activists , saying the event promoted hate speech and posed safety concerns to Fort Worth residents. City officials have maintained that allowing the event, as well as , was necessary to protect the right to free speech.

Nettles said he understands concerns about free speech but believes the city should prioritize a welcoming environment for all 鈥� even if nondiscrimination clauses lead to legal issues.

鈥淚t will probably cost us money to have to fight these cases if we start defending and not allowing certain programming to happen,鈥� Nettles said. 鈥淏ut at the end of the day, are we willing to make our community feel safe and welcoming to everybody? I think that鈥檚 what it boils down to. So no matter how much money it costs, we can do it.鈥�

In an about the controversy over event bookings, Parker said 鈥渋t is a slippery slope when government restricts free speech.鈥� Activists and community members have called on Parker to take a stance on the events and denounce white supremacy.

鈥淚t鈥檚 one of those situations where you do have to pick a side,鈥� Amy Ramsey, chief operating officer for the national nonprofit Defense of Democracy and an organizer of the protest outside the botanic garden, . 鈥淥ne of them is the side of fascism, and one of them is the side of 鈥榃e just want to exist in Fort Worth without fear.鈥欌��

Ramsey did not immediately return a request for comment.

Under the new process for renting city facilities, staff will notify Fort Worth police if an event reservation application 鈥渋ndicates the potential for concern and/or includes alcohol,鈥� according to McEachern鈥檚 email. Then, the police department will review the event information and monitor 鈥渙nline chatter.鈥�

If warranted, the police department will determine how many off-duty police officers the event holder will be required to have on-site, and the event holder will be responsible for paying the cost to contract them. If the police department determines that on-duty officers are required outside of the facility as well, the city will cover that cost as part of normal operations, McEachern wrote.

The police department deployed four off-duty officers inside the Fort Worth Botanic Garden as security for the True Texas Project鈥檚 July event. Fort Worth Police Lt. Paul Genualdo on site at the event, but more than a dozen squad cars were visible inside the garden, and a handful of officers stood near demonstrators protesting outside the garden.

The new rental policy was implemented by city staff without heading to City Council for a vote. Council members received a briefing on the policy update in August. McEachern that the policy falls under staff鈥檚 purview.

鈥淭he mayor and the council never weigh in to facility rentals,鈥� McEachern said in July. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 really a management policy and a management decision, so they don鈥檛 ever actually even see the applications or any step in the process.鈥�

Editor鈥檚 note: This is a developing story and will be updated with new information as it becomes available. 

Government Accountability Reporter Emily Wolf contributed to this report. 

Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org or . 

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .

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