New law in the works: Projecting antisemitic images onto buildings would be a felony
Disturbing antisemitism displays in Palm Beach County this month has prompted some urgency among leaders, who held a closed-door meeting Tuesday to push forward and expand plans to combat the issue.
The result: Anyone who projects antisemitic images onto buildings could be charged with a felony under a bill that was introduced Jan. 19 by State Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Delray Beach.
This month, two men wearing ski masks used a rented truck with a projector to place antisemitic images on the AT&T building in West Palm Beach. An investigation is continuing to determine if the men violated criminal laws. The Caruso bill, if enacted into law, makes it clear that such conduct is a third-degree felony and hate crime.
County and local officials met at county offices in West Palm Beach to discuss how to respond. The closed-door meeting lasted for more than an hour and was closed to the public and media. Officials said the meeting did not violate any Sunshine laws.
Those laws require a meeting to be open if two or more members of the same board attended the meeting. That was not the case but Barbara Petersen, executive director of the Florida Center for Government Accountability, said there was no reason why the session could not have been opened for public review.
After the session ended, some participants discussed what occurred with the media.
County Mayor Gregg Weiss said Caruso detailed what was in his bill and how it would address the incidents that recently occurred in Palm Beach County.
"We want these people to know that we are working on laws to hold them accountable," said Weiss. “The people who did these things are not from Palm Beach County. They came here to spread hate but they have united the county to see that these incidents stop.”
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Weiss said he was pleased that Caruso has introduced his bill because the current options for law enforcement are quite limited.
Caruso said he has been drafting a bill for more than a year to address the alarming increase in antisemitic incidents across the state. With the recent projection of Nazi swastikas on the building in West Palm Beach, he said he decided to include a provision that says it is a crime to project images that “evidences religious or ethnic animus.”
The bill was filed Jan. 19.
“It is imperative to pass legislation aimed at curbing this behavior,” Caruso told The Post. “All Floridians, including those of the Jewish faith, should be able to have quiet enjoyment in their communities and practice their faith without fear of harm. When we say Never Again, we mean Never Again.”
Caruso’s bill would also make it a third-degree felony for anyone to leave flyers or pamphlets outside a home that “evidences religious or ethnic animus.” In Boca Raton and Atlantis, flyers were recently left outside homes that contained antisemitic messages. An arrest was made in Atlantis with the suspect charged with littering. Had Caruso's bill been law, a felony arrest could have been made.
In July, police found antisemitic flyers in Sarasota, Fort Myers, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach and Orlando.
Weiss noted that area representatives who attended the meeting all support the proposed legislation. Caruso said he is confident it will pass the Legislature.
Other parts of the bill make it a felony if someone:
Follows, interferes or harasses a person based on the religious-based garment he or she is wearing.
Damages or defaces a religious cemetery or gravesite based on religious or ethnic animus.
Disrupts a funeral while evidencing religious or ethnic animus.
In addition to Weiss and Caruso, others who participated at the roundtable meeting included West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, State Attorney Dave Aronberg, Michael Hoffman of the Jewish Federation, Palm Beach Gardens Vice Mayor Rachelle Litt, Lonnie Wilk of the Anti-Defamation League, State Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boynton Beach and Felicia Goldstein (aide to Rep. Lois Frankel).
Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and transportation. You can reach him atmdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism.Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County leaders support new laws to confront antisemitism
