Mother, Son Claim Harassment, Sue Missouri Town

A southeastern Missouri woman and her son are suing their hometown, the mayor and top local law enforcers, accusing them in federal court of harassment and violating their civil rights.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed the suit Thursday in Cape Girardeau against Piedmont residents Tina Warren and Bryan Jeffers.

The lawsuit names Mayor Bill Kirkpatrick, the police chief and a police officer in the 2,000-resident Wayne County town, and the county's sheriff.

The lawsuit alleges that after calling for an audit of the city, Warren and Jeffers have been "subjected to a campaign of harassment" by the plaintiffs. The lawsuit says the civil rights violations have been exacerbated by Warren's repeated, constitutionally protected obscene gestures toward the mayor.

Messages left with Kirkpatrick and other plaintiffs weren't immediately returned Friday.