YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — An East Canton couple is seeking $30 million in a federal lawsuit alleging they were injured when officers and security staff forcibly removed them from President Donald Trump’s October 12 rally at the Covelli Centre after they voiced dissent during Sen. Jon Husted’s speech.
The lawsuit, Doe et al. v. Husted et al., Case No. 4:26-cv-02831, was filed October 28 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. The plaintiffs are identified in the court documents only by the pseudonyms John Doe and Jane Doe, a married couple from East Canton in Stark County. The defendants named in the filing are Husted; the City of Youngstown; Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene; four unnamed law enforcement officers; and Ironwood Protection Group LLC, a private security firm.
What the complaint alleges
According to the complaint, the couple was removed after speaking out while Husted addressed the crowd. The filing states that John Doe shouted “pedophile protector” during the speech, and that security staff ordered the couple to leave. “Seconds later,” the complaint alleges, an officer grabbed John Doe by the head and neck and slammed him into the ground, breaking his phone and his glasses.
The complaint says John Doe is disabled, vision-impaired and asthmatic, and was left unable to see by the loss of his glasses. Jane Doe alleges she was also assaulted during the altercation. The couple alleges they received no medical care after their removal. The filing states they sought medical attention on October 27, when John Doe was diagnosed with a closed head injury and a cervical sprain, and both were referred for follow-up care.
The complaint names Husted in his alleged role at the podium: “Though he was holding a microphone and standing at a podium, Senator Husted did not ask the Officers to stop the violence.”
The suit alleges excessive force, assault and battery, failure to intervene, denial of necessary medical care and violations of the couple’s freedom of speech, and seeks $25 million in punitive damages, $5 million in compensatory damages and attorney’s fees. No charges have been filed in connection with the couple’s removal.
Sheriff and plaintiffs’ attorney respond
Greene, the only defendant to respond publicly so far, said in an emailed statement: “I am aware of the filing of this lawsuit. I am extremely confident that my Deputies acted appropriately and followed the law. As this is now ongoing litigation, I am advised to not make any further comment.”
The couple’s attorney, Leah J. Sellers, said in a statement: “Freedom of speech, assembly and the press are rights guaranteed by our Constitution. They are in the First Amendment for a reason. My clients want accountability.”
As of Tuesday, Husted had not issued a public response to the lawsuit.
The Does’ case is separate from another widely reported incident at the same rally involving a different protester; that incident is not part of this filing. The lawsuit remains pending.
This article is based on the federal court docket and the allegations in the complaint in Doe et al. v. Husted et al., No. 4:26-cv-02831 (N.D. Ohio, filed Oct. 28, 2026), and on statements from the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office and the plaintiffs’ attorney. The allegations have not been proven in court.
