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We Live Here: Nuisance laws in Maplewood take center stage amid federal lawsuit

Rosetta Watson says she was kicked out of Maplewood because she called police too many times seeking help because of her abusive ex-boyfriend.
Carolina Hidalgo | St. Louis Public Radio
Rosetta Watson says she was kicked out of Maplewood because she called police too many times seeking help because of her abusive ex-boyfriend.

Public nuisance laws are one tool that city governments use to expel residents who are deemed a problem by city officials. Some housing advocates say officials in Maplewood are using these laws against poor people, people of color and victims of domestic abuse.

On Thursday’s St. Louis on the Air, host Don Marsh talked with We Live Here co-host/producer Kameel Stanley about the newest episode, concerning how Maplewood officials are responding to the allegations.

We Live Here’s second episode also features more from Rosetta Watson, the woman suing in federal court after she says she was kicked out of Maplewood for calling police too many times for protection from an abusive ex-boyfriend.

Support for We Live Here comes from the Hammond Institute for Free Enterprise at Lindenwood University.

St. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh and producers Mary EdwardsAlex HeuerEvie Hemphill and Lara Hamdan give you the information you need to make informed decisions and stay in touch with our diverse and vibrant St. Louis region.

Inform our coveragePlease help us, through out Public Insight Network, as we continue to report on this issue. Tell us: Do public nuisance laws help or hurt our communities?

Copyright 2021 St. Louis Public Radio. To see more, visit St. Louis Public Radio.

Alex Heuer joined St. Louis Public Radio in 2012 and is the executive producer of St. Louis on the Air. Alex grew up in the St. Louis area. He began his public radio career as a student reporter at Tri States Public Radio in Macomb, Illinois and worked for a few years at Iowa Public Radio. Alex graduated summa cum laude from Western Illinois University with a degree in history and earned a teaching certificate in 6 - 12th grade social studies. In 2016, he earned a Master of Public Policy Administration with a focus in nonprofit organization management and leadership from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He has won local and national awards for reporting and producing and his stories have been featured nationally on Morning Edition and All Things Considered.