(NewsNation) — A divide over a mural at a donut shop has led to a First Amendment fight for one New Hampshire man.
Sean Young, owner of Leavitt’s Country Bakery in Conway, had art students from a local high school paint a mural over the front door of his business.
“I have a couple businesses in town, and I had volunteered to let (the students) use one of the businesses to paint whatever they wanted,” Young told “Morning in America” on Friday.
However, Conway town officials say the painting is four times bigger than allowed per the local sign code, and told him to take it down.
Although Young says the mural is art and therefore, the town does not have jurisdiction over it, officials say it’s an advertisement.
“We’re up here in the White Mountains, a beautiful area, so they made the sun setting over the White Mountains,” Young explained. “And they basically just made the mountains out of donuts and pastries and the town said, ‘Hey, that’s not art.'”
Now, Young has filed a First Amendment lawsuit against Conway.
What he’s asking for is $1 — and permission to keep the mural.
“That’s the most important thing … to keep the kids’ artwork,” Young said. “We thought we’re doing a good thing, and now here we are still, almost two years later, just fighting for our First Amendment rights.”
NewsNation reached out to the town of Conway via email for comment.
A hearing for the case is scheduled for February.
