FACT SHEET

Ghiotto v. City of San Diego

ABOUT Ghiotto v. City of San Diego

After being forced to participate--despite numerous objections--in San Diego’s 2007 “Gay Pride Parade,” four
firefighters from the San Diego Fire Department were sexually harassed through lewd cat calls and obscene
gestures at the event, which was replete with sexual displays and graphic images. The city was well aware of the
firefighters’ objection to participating in the parade because of its lascivious nature exhibited in past years,
including unwanted sexual comments and gestures from participants and spectators. The San Diego Fire
Department disregarded the firefighters’ objections. For its wrongful actions against the firefighters, a jury in state
superior court found in favor of the firefighters in the case in February 2009. The city appealed the verdict.
Although the city changed its policy after the firefighters filed suit against the city in August 2007, the firefighters
maintain that the city has stated it is allowed to revert to forced participation if volunteers are not available. The
firefighters claim that forced participation in the parade, which was a highly political event, violated their right
against compelled speech in addition to the harassment; therefore, they have appealed a ruling by the court that
dismissed the claim that their speech rights were violated.

CURRENT STATUS OF Ghiotto v. City of San Diego AS OF 10/7/10

ADF-allied attorney Charles LiMandri is scheduled to present oral arguments on behalf of the firefighters on Oct. 8
in California’s Fourth Appellate District, Division One.

FOCUS OF HEARING – WHAT IS AT STAKE?

A ruling in this case will determine whether government employees can be legally forced by their employer to
participate in events to which they verbally object and that run contrary to their conscience and beliefs.

CONTACT
ADF Media Relations
Phone: (480) 444-0020, x. 17102 / E-mail: adfmedia@telladf.org / Web: www.adfmedia.org/home/contact

ABOUT ADF
ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely
live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and
litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.

ABOUT Charles S. LiMandri

Charles S. LiMandri (luh-MAN’-dree) is one of more than 1,800 attorneys in the ADF alliance and is the West
Coast regional director of the Thomas Moore Law Center and the former president of the Thomas More Society of
San Diego. He runs his own private practice in Rancho Santa Fe, California, where he specializes in many areas of
civil litigation. LiMandri earned his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1983, when he began
practicing law. He is admitted to the bar in the U.S. Supreme Court, the state of California, and the District of
Columbia.

ABOUT Joseph Infranco

Joseph P. Infranco (in-FRANK’-oh) serves as senior legal counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund at its
headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he is also senior vice-president of Allied Attorney Support and
Coordination, working with more than 1,800 attorneys across the nation. Infranco has tried more than 100 cases to
successful conclusions and has participated as counsel or local counsel on many First Amendment cases. He joined
ADF in 2003 and is admitted to the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court and New York state in addition to three federal
district courts and U.S. Tax Court. Infranco has practiced law since 1978 and earned his J.D. from the University
of New Hampshire Law School.

This fact sheet and related media resources are available at www.adfmedia.org.