Christmas clash

Hayden man, homeowners association threaten lawsuits over holiday display

HAYDEN — So far, Jeremy Morris' media strategy has played out perfectly.

Thursday afternoon the Associated Press was sending out a wire story saying Morris was battling his neighbors over his planned Christmas decorations, lights, carolers, Santa Claus and live camel. His annual display raises money for children and those in need.

Morris and his homeowners association are threatening each other with lawsuits. KREM-TV was reporting members of the "3% of Idaho" group — some constitutional advocacy group — stopped by his place and offered to guard his house. Morris said he didn't contact the group and doesn't know who the men are or how they could really help.

The Spokesman-Review published a story headlined: "Hayden man vows to fight lawsuit threatened over his planned Christmas display."

"I told them that they can avoid this story at their peril," Morris told The Press on Thursday.

"This is an attack on people of faith," Morris told Spokesman reporter Nina Culver.

He contacted the Coeur d'Alene Press, too.

A couple days earlier, Fox News' Todd Starnes broke the story wide open with an article on the channel's website, headlined: "Might offend non-Christians? Man told to remove Christmas display."

Morris told Fox News the homeowners association's real agenda is to attack Christians.

"This is about hostility towards people of faith," Morris told Fox. "I have certain religious beliefs that I hold dear to my heart. We wanted to help people in the community and promote Christmas as the Christian holiday it's always been."

Some in the very conservative Hayden area might be surprised to hear that Christmas displays would be frowned upon anywhere in their community.

Longtime Hayden Mayor Ron McIntire isn't familiar with any war on Christmas.

"I didn't know there was," McIntire said Thursday.

At least not within the city limits. Morris lives just outside.

Morris said he picked his home specifically to conduct his Christmas event. He put in an offer right after last year's event, and contacted the homeowners association in early January of this year. The homeowners association contends his event will violate several provisions in the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions for the West Hayden Estates First Addition.

In March, The Press featured Morris, who is an attorney, in a Lifestyles section article. At that time, he was preparing to move to his current address and was already readying for a showdown with his homeowners association over Christmas displays in his yard.

When the letters from the homeowners association's attorney, Scott L. Poorman of Hayden, got too serious, Morris knew he had a media strategy — developed with another attorney's help — to turn this into a national story.

He would play the role of defender of Christians and Christmas. The homeowners association — the Grinch.

An Oct. 26 letter from Poorman said the event would significantly interfere with the quiet enjoyment of other property owners.

"In addition you have not requested or received approval from the association for the lights, music, exotic animals and other 'live acts' that you plan to present," Poorman wrote. "Dolly the Camel is not an ordinary household pet and is not allowed to be kept on your property for any period of time."

That letter was the final straw, and triggered activation of Morris's media strategy. He wanted this incident in the spotlight. Nationally.

So how did Fox News find out about a squabble between a homeowner just outside Hayden and his homeowners association? How about the Spokesman-Review? KREM-2?

"After receiving Mr. Poorman's letter, well, that triggered stage one of the media strategy," Morris said Thursday afternoon. "So we contacted Fox News."

He didn't stop with Fox News. He also sought the attention of CNN, ABC and CBS News.

"We actually contacted, in one message, all the major networks," he said. "Fox took it up before the others."

Morris wanted to expose what he sees as injustice, something that probably happens in other places, he said. It can't just be him, he said.

"It happened to occur this time to the wrong guy," Morris said. "They shouldn't have done it to me."