Warren Sapp has taken his fight with Tampa City Hall to federal court.
The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers star and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle filed a civil rights lawsuit Wednesday against the city of Tampa, saying officials violated his First Amendment rights when they had him removed from City Hall during a council meeting last week.
At the center of the complaint is Sapp’s presence in City Hall on Sept. 17, which the lawsuit says was for “the lawful purpose of obtaining paperwork.” The filing says Sapp and another unnamed person went into an office next to the council chambers hours into the meeting, setting off a chain of events that led council chairperson Alan Clendenin to pause the session and eventually ask that the doors into the chambers be locked.
The lawsuit says confusion spread through the room as people tried to see into the adjoining office through glass doors, while attendees could hear little of what was happening nearby. Clendenin later told the chamber, “I am ruling the folks that are in our offices that are being disruptive to City Council procedures out of order. I have asked them to leave the premises, and they have refused to leave the premises.”
He then called a recess and asked attendees to remain seated. The meeting resumed a few minutes later, and more than 20 minutes after that, Clendenin said attendees were free to leave.
According to the Tampa Police Department, the council asked that Sapp receive a trespass warning for the day. He was not arrested.
A video of the encounter posted to Facebook shows Sapp and the other person seated in front of two members of the Police Department, with Clendenin and council member Luis Viera appearing intermittently in the frame. In the clip, Clendenin tells Sapp, “Get out,” and later adds, “I’m ordering you to leave,” before warning, “and if you don’t leave, I’m gonna ask the police to escort you out.”
Sapp responds, “I’m refusing your request,” and repeatedly asks, “What crime have I committed?”
The lawsuit says the city turned a public-government dispute into something more serious than it needed to be. “Rather than permit (Sapp) to conduct his business in a public government building, City Officials escalated his presence into a governmental confrontation,” the complaint says. It also says Sapp’s presence “prompted an extraordinary response from City Officials.”
The filing argues that the city crossed a constitutional line by using its authority to block him from City Hall and interfere with his ability to petition local government. “The First Amendment does not permit a municipality to transform disagreement, irritation, criticism, anticipated expression, or an unwanted citizen’s presence in a public governmental forum into grounds for official retaliation,” it said. “By invoking municipal authority to exclude (Sapp) from City Hall and interfere with his ability to access and petition his local government, the City crossed a constitutional line.”
The lawsuit acknowledges that city officials can set reasonable rules for orderly meetings, but says those rules can’t be used to suppress protected activity. “They may not, however, employ those rules as a pretext for suppressing, punishing, or deterring constitutionally protected activity.”
Sapp says he suffered humiliation, embarrassment, reputational harm, emotional distress, inconvenience and a loss of constitutional rights. He is seeking nominal damages.
City spokesperson Adam Smith declined to comment because the case is pending.
Sapp is represented by attorney Anthony Sabatini, a Lake County Commissioner and former state representative.
In Other News...
Leonard Fournette Just Turned Up The Heat On Todd Bowles
The frustration around Todd Bowles has only grown as Tampa Bay has stumbled out to an 0-2 start, and now a familiar former face has added more fuel to the conversation. Leonard Fournette said on his podcast that he believes the Buccaneers should move on from the head coach, a pointed critique from someone who spent time in the building and has seen the expectations that come with it.
It is the kind of public comment that lands harder when the record already invites scrutiny. Bowles is 35-35 in the regular season and 1-3 in the postseason with Tampa Bay, and while fans and media have been sharpening their criticism, there has been no official decision about his job. For now, the noise is building faster than any resolution. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Just Got A Public Warning Bucs Fans Will Feel
The Buccaneers rough opening has already turned the heat up on Todd Bowles, and now the noise is coming from a familiar voice. Former Tampa Bay running back Leonard Fournette said on his podcast that he believes it is time for the head coach to move on, a blunt public critique that lands in a week when the Bucs are still trying to steady themselves after an 0-2 start.
Tampa Bay has not helped its own cause, with Baker Mayfields turnovers adding to the early-season frustration and a tough matchup against the Minnesota Vikings next on the schedule. Fournette did acknowledge Bowles past success, but he pointed to the current struggles as a sign that the coachs tenure may be nearing its end, a familiar kind of pressure for a team that suddenly needs answers fast. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Orlovsky Just Raised The Pressure On Todd Bowles And Bucs Defense
The Buccaneers defensive issues came under a sharper spotlight after their Week 2 loss to the Browns, and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky didnt hold back in sizing up the problems. Speaking on NFL Live and later on the Pat McAfee Show, the former quarterback pointed to a unit that looked shaky in zone coverage, struggled with missed tackles, and never seemed to find the right answers after what had already been a bumpy opener.
For Todd Bowles, the criticism lands at a moment when the Bucs need their defense to steady the operation fast. Orlovskys concern was not just about one off day in Cleveland, but about a broader breakdown in execution and in-game adjustment that has put Tampa Bays defensive identity under pressure early in the season. [Read more 🡒]