Maplewood, MO (KTRS) The St. Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council is partnering with the ACLU of Missouri in an effort to change a controversial nuisance ordinance in the City of Maplewood. A community discussion was held Wednesday night at the Salvation Army.

The ordinance states that a residential address with two or more police calls in a 6 month period can be deemed a nuisance – and the violators evicted.

Senior Staff Attorney with the ACLU Women’s Rights Project, Sandra Park stated,“One of the disturbing parts of the Maplewood ordinance is it specifically talks about domestic violence incidents resulting calls to police. That triggers the ordinance. Sometimes in communities we see very broad provisions that end up being used against domestic violence victims, but this ordinance actually talks about domestic violence calls, and that’s why we’re very disturbed that it was included in the ordinance and that it ends up getting enforced against victims who seek help.”

The ACLU of Missouri currently has a suit pending against the city on behalf of a domestic violence survivor who was forced to move after calling the police for help.