Gente Organizada settles lawsuit with City of Pomona, claims win for free speech

The City of Pomona has reached a settlement with the nonprofit Gente Organizada, resolving a lawsuit over alleged violations of free speech tied to murals displayed on the group’s youth center.

Gente Organizada filed the lawsuit in 2023 after Pomona police repeatedly cited the organization under the city’s zoning ordinance for artwork that included photos of protests and messages critical of law enforcement. One image included a sign calling on Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval to defund the police. The citations were issued under a then-active city code intended to protect Pomona’s “aesthetic environment,” attract economic development, and safeguard “life, health, property, and public welfare.”

The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California (ACLU SoCal) represented them in the case.

“While Pomona attempted to block our right to free speech and weaponized city code so that we could not exercise our right to artistic expression, we are grateful this litigation resulted in changes in the city code that uphold our constitutional rights – ensuring that other Pomona organizations are not unfairly subjected to improper citations and fines,” said Ivan Hernandez, director of movement building at Gente Organizada. 

As part of the settlement, the city revised its sign code in May 2025 to eliminate provisions the parties said were unconstitutional. Pomona also agreed to review and revise its public art code and allow Gente Organizada and its legal team to provide input before changes go to the city council.

“The city shifted from its initial citations against Gente Organizada and instead worked with us to develop a revised sign code that respects constitutional rights,” said Jonathan Markovitz, staff attorney with ACLU SoCal.

Under the agreement, Pomona will waive prior citations issued to the organization and allow it to install new artwork over the next five years without a permit.

Gente Organizada has since requested dismissal of the lawsuit. The City of Pomona did not respond to multiple requests for comment.