A federal judge ruled that then-Hartford Police Chief Bruce Marquis did not violate the rights of five Hartford police officers two years ago when he ordered them to cover up controversial spider web tattoos while on duty, the Hartford Courant reports. U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Droney ruled that Marquis did not violate their rights of free speech. “The chief of police has the authority to order personnel to cover tattoos that are deemed offensive and or presenting an unprofessional appearance,” Droney said.
A detective had complained that the state Department of Correction found that the spider web tattoos “symbolizes race hatred of non-whites and Jews.” The officers maintained that tattoos did not represent any racist group and were “merely decorative.”
Link: http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-spiderweb0406.artapr06,0,7334465.story?coll=hc-headlines-local