Rebekah Massie Settlement: Ruling, Claims, and Relief Sought

There is no Rebekah Massie settlement. As of early 2026, her federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Surprise, Arizona, former Mayor Skip Hall, and Officer Steven Shernicoff is active and in discovery after a federal judge allowed her core claims to move forward.¹

Where the Case Stands

The lawsuit, Massie v. City of Surprise, No. CV-24-02276-PHX-ROS, is pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. Discovery is underway. No settlement has been announced, and no trial date has been publicly reported. Adam Steinbaugh, an attorney with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which represents Massie, said the organization will continue litigating the case to “vindicate Rebekah’s constitutional rights.”¹

What the January 2026 Ruling Decided

On January 6, 2026, U.S. District Judge Roslyn O. Silver granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ partial motion to dismiss Massie’s Second Amended Complaint.²

The state tort claims against Hall and Shernicoff — assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress — were dismissed with prejudice. Judge Silver ruled that Massie failed to comply with Arizona’s Notice of Claim statute, which requires a formal notice before suing a public employee for damages. She filed suit before serving those notices, and the claims were barred as a result.²

The Arizona Open Meeting Law claim against the city survived. The city argued the claim was moot because it had already repealed the challenged policy, but the court rejected that argument, holding the city carried a “heavy burden” to prove the conduct would not recur and had not met it.²

All federal constitutional claims remain active. The defendants did not challenge them in the motion.³

The Claims Still on the Table

Hall faces four federal claims in his individual capacity: First Amendment viewpoint discrimination, First Amendment retaliation, Fourth Amendment false arrest, and retaliatory arrest for allegedly directing officers to remove Massie. Shernicoff faces federal claims tied to the arrest itself. Court filings do not yet reflect a qualified immunity ruling for either defendant.²

Against the city, a municipal liability claim under Monell v. Department of Social Services remains active, alleging the public-comment policy was official municipal action that caused the constitutional violations. The Open Meeting Law claim under A.R.S. § 38-431.01 also proceeds against the city.⁴

What Triggered the Lawsuit

On August 20, 2024, Massie used the “call to the public” portion of a Surprise City Council meeting to criticize a proposed 4.4% pay raise for City Attorney Robert Wingo, who was earning roughly $266,000 a year. She questioned his performance and alleged a conflict of interest tied to a campaign sign complaint involving a councilwoman.⁵

Mayor Skip Hall interrupted, citing a city policy that prohibited speakers from lodging “charges or complaints” against city employees or council members. When Massie said her comments were factual, Hall replied, “It doesn’t matter,” and ordered her removal.⁶ Officer Steven Shernicoff grabbed her arms, forced her against a wall and then to the ground, handcuffed her, and arrested her for criminal trespassing. According to the federal complaint, he then took her to a detention facility and refused to let her call to locate her daughter, who had been at the meeting.⁴

What Massie Is Seeking

The complaint seeks monetary damages, injunctive relief to prevent future enforcement of similar policies, and a declaration that the policy violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments. It does not specify a dollar amount.⁴ Any settlement figure, if one is reached, would be established through negotiation or judgment; none exists on the public record.

What Has Already Been Resolved

Several pieces of the dispute closed out before the civil case reached this stage. The criminal trespassing charge, prosecuted by the City of Phoenix due to a conflict of interest, was dismissed with prejudice on October 23, 2024, by Maricopa County Justice of the Peace Gerald A. Williams, who called the city’s actions “objectively outrageous” and found they lacked probable cause and violated Massie’s free speech rights.⁷³

The public comment policy that triggered the arrest was repealed. On September 17, 2024, the Surprise City Council voted unanimously to strike it, with City Attorney Wingo introducing the repeal measure.⁸ Hall left office in November 2024. His successor, Kevin Sartor, publicly condemned the arrest before taking office in January 2025, saying, “What happened to Rebekah Massie is unacceptable. No citizen should ever be arrested for voicing their concerns, especially in a forum specifically designed for public input.”⁹

None of those developments closes the civil case. The federal claims against the city, the former mayor, and the arresting officer remain live, and the discovery record now being built will shape whether the parties reach a settlement or take the case to trial.

1
AZ Free News. Federal Judge Allows Surprise Mom’s Free Speech Lawsuit to Move Forward
2
U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. Order, Massie v. City of Surprise, No. CV-24-02276-PHX-ROS
3
Red Rock News. Free Speech Case in Surprise Moves to Federal Court
4
FIRE. Massie v. City of Surprise, Complaint
5
Arizona Republic. Surprise Mayor, City Council Arrest, First Amendment
6
Fox 10 Phoenix. Surprise City Council OKs Repeal of Rule Restricting Public Complaints Against City Employees at Meetings
7
KJZZ. Criminal Charges Dropped Against Woman Who Was Arrested at Surprise Council Meeting
8
Phoenix New Times. Surprise Repeals Rule After Free Speech Arrest Controversy
9
The Center Square. Surprise Mayor-Elect Criticizes Arrest of Rebekah Massie