My city silenced me, but the Supreme Court will listen this week

Speaking up in Castle Hills, Texas, can be costly. Residents who signed a petition to remove the city manager received visits from the police. Others faced bogus criminal charges. I spent a day in jail. 

The mayor, the police chief and a special investigator did their best to silence me. But on March 20, the Supreme Court will hear my case, Gonzalez v. Trevino, and give me a chance to speak without fear of retaliation. 

If I prevail, I can return home and continue my First Amendment lawsuit against the people who chased me out of office as the first Hispanic alderwoman in Castle Hills, an enclave-city within San Antonio, Texas. 

None of this drama needed to happen. When I ran for office in 2019, I simply wanted to serve. Neighbors had complained about poor infrastructure and a lack of responsiveness at City Hall. I had time to get involved as a retiree, so I ran to join the city council. 

I, along with my supporters, also organized a petition drive, putting the city manager on notice. Everyone who signed the nonbinding document remained peaceful. We did not block traffic, trespass, litter, loiter or vandalize.

My father spent his career in law enforcement. My daughter works in law enforcement. And I had a clean record with no arrests or convictions — not even a traffic citation.  

I had no intention of backing down from my vow to reform the city's political culture. So, after my election, I submitted the petition and invited feedback. The response was hostile. Politically connected citizens shouted during a public meeting. And people in power plotted revenge. 

Their chance came at the conclusion of the first meeting, when I inadvertently picked up the petition from a stack of papers on the dais. I made this mistake with no criminal intent, but my accusers called me a thief.

Weeks later, they adjusted the allegation to “tampering with a government document” and issued a warrant for my arrest. I was shocked and terrified. My only option was to turn myself in to the police. The fact that I am a 72-year-old grandmother did not earn me any leniency. 

Deputies greeted me with handcuffs. I felt like I was stripped of my rights and dignity. Next came the booking photo, released to the media that night for public shaming, followed by orders for me to change into an orange jumpsuit.  

I spent the next several hours shivering on a cold metal bench.  

Prosecutors almost immediately dismissed the charges, which they recognized were baseless, but the damage was done. Worried about further retaliation, I resigned from office. More than four years later, my heart still races when I see a Castle Hills police cruiser. 

My First Amendment retaliation case, filed in 2020 with representation from the Institute for Justice, cannot undo the trauma. But I hope to set a precedent for future victims of government harassment, especially when rogue officials weaponize law enforcement to punish their critics. 

After the trial court cleared me to proceed against the mayor, police chief and special investigator, the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals intervened and reversed the decision. If the appellate court ruling in my case is allowed to stand, many First Amendment retaliation victims would lose their right to sue.

This precedent would be very dangerous. If public officials can show probable cause that someone violated a law, they would be immune from the consequences of enforcement, even if the goal is to punish speech. Revenge-minded officials can pick a target, scour the books for a violation — any violation — and pounce. 

I never imagined such a thing could happen when I ran for office. Officials silenced me in Castle Hills. Now I need the Supreme Court to restore my voice. 

Sylvia Gonzalez is a retired telephone company communications consultant and former alderwoman in Castle Hills, Texas.