City of Bellevue v. Lorang

Jon Marc Lorang was convicted of telephone harassment under Bellevue City Code (BCC) 10A.84.090. We granted his petition for discretionary review to consider whether the ordinance violates the free speech provisions of the federal or state constitutions by seeking to prohibit the use of “profane” language. Mr. Lorang contends that the term “profane” has antireligious connotations and that the ordinance’s ban is therefore viewpoint-based. We construe the word “profane” in its secular sense and conclude the Bellevue ordinance is facially constitutional. To ensure that the antireligious meaning…