A former Jackson mayoral candidate and local musician has sued the City of Jackson, the City Council and two current or former council members, alleging officials unlawfully restricted his speech during public-comment periods at council meetings last year.
Complaint filed in federal court alleges repeated silencing
Zach Servis, a 28-year-old rapper, musician and business owner who ran as an independent in Jackson’s 2025 mayoral race, filed the suit Monday, Aug. 11, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. Servis finished third in that race with 621 votes and became a familiar face at council meetings, often speaking about his Christian faith and campaigning through rap videos, including one titled “They Won’t Bribe Us.”
The lawsuit centers on a series of incidents in 2025. In May, Servis says he was removed from a council meeting after members objected to a campaign shirt he was wearing. In July, Ward 4 Councilman Brian Grizzell prevented Servis from criticizing a city employee during public comments, according to court filings and Servis’ description of the events.
Named as defendants are the City of Jackson, the City Council, Councilman Brian Grizzell and former Ward 7 Councilwoman Virgi Lindsay, who served as council president during one of the disputed meetings. Servis said the suit is the culmination of efforts to persuade city officials to clarify and change rules governing public comments after his attempts to resolve the matter outside court failed.
“I realized that the verse was like twice as long as I thought it was,” Servis said, explaining why he paused to finish a recording before discussing the lawsuit on the phone.
Timeline and core allegations
The complaint, according to Servis and documents he shared with reporters, alleges ongoing interference with his right to speak on matters of public concern at council meetings. He says his email to city officials in July 2025 — addressed to City Attorney Drew Martin, Municipal Clerk Angela Harris and Mayor John Horhn — sought review of the July confrontation, clarification of the public-comment policy and assurances that residents would not be silenced for addressing public matters. Servis says the city did not adequately respond.
- May 2025: Removal from a council meeting after officials objected to his campaign shirt.
- July 2025: Stopped by Councilman Brian Grizzell when attempting to criticize a city employee during public comment.
- Aug. 11, 2026: Lawsuit filed in federal court naming the city, the council and individual council members as defendants.
The suit seeks judicial review of the alleged restrictions and seeks remedies available under federal law for violations of free-speech rights. The filings assert that the city’s actions chilled Servis’ participation in public meetings and lacked adequate procedural safeguards to prevent viewpoint discrimination.
Local implications and public-comment practice
Public-comment periods at Jackson City Council meetings are a primary avenue for residents to address elected officials about city operations, employees and policy. Changes to how those periods are managed or adjudicated in court could affect future meetings and the council’s procedures for handling disruptions, decorum and off-topic remarks.
Servis characterized his suit not as a personal vendetta but as an effort to ensure consistent application of rules so that residents can raise concerns without fear of being cut off. He said he had sought resolution through email correspondence with city officials before filing the suit.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Plaintiff | Zach Servis (28), former mayoral candidate, musician |
| Defendants | City of Jackson; Jackson City Council; Brian Grizzell; Virgi Lindsay |
| Court | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi |
| Key dates | May 2025 (removal), July 2025 (stopped during comment), Aug. 11, 2026 (lawsuit) |
The City of Jackson and the named council members have not provided a public comment for this story. The city attorney’s office and municipal clerk were among officials Servis said he contacted before suing.
How the court will adjudicate the line between permissible regulation of meeting decorum and unconstitutional viewpoint- or speaker-based restrictions remains to be seen. The outcome could shape the procedural rules the council adopts for public participation and influence how residents engage with local government in Jackson.
Servis’ case underscores ongoing tensions in Jackson about access to civic processes, the bounds of acceptable conduct in public meetings and the role of local government in safeguarding — or limiting — public speech.
