A 10-count federal civil rights lawsuit claims that Rossville officials unlawfully seized the historic Chief John Ross House in March and barred members of the John Ross House Association from the premises, threatening them with arrest.
The suit filed Oct. 7 in federal court in Rome, Georgia, by lawyers for the nonprofit John Ross House Association Inc. alleges the city unlawfully seized the structure and house at East Lake Avenue and Andrews Street in Rossville.
The suit, which additionally seeks an injunction against the city to keep the house and its contents as is, alleges violations of the Fourth and 14th amendments and Georgia law. The suit has not yet been served on the city of Rossville or officials, according to court records.
The suit seeks to settle the longstanding dispute about who owns the historic structure, not who owns the land surrounding it.
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