By Suzie Ziegler
ETNA, Ohio — An Ohio neighborhood is standing in solidarity with a resident who was told to remove a thin blue line flag from his yard.
According to KATV, more and more residents are flying thin blue line flags after the neighborhood’s HOA ordered Thomas DiSario to take down his flag. DiSario has flown a thin blue line flag since his son, Chief Steven Eric DiSario, was killed in the line of duty in 2017.
In a letter to DiSario, the HOA said the flag violated a rule against displaying political signage.
“The political sign in the form of a flag must be removed from your property,” reads the letter obtained by NBC 4. “The flag on your pole is not a United States flag. It is a political statement.”
DiSario says he doesn’t see the flag as a political statement, and it seems his neighbors agree.
“We wanted to show respect for our neighbor. And we appreciate the service that his family member gave,” neighbor Kathy Riddle told KATV. “It’s growing. You see more flags out every few days.”
“I feel like we are here to support one another and that’s what we’re doing,” added Kari Culver, another neighbor.
It’s unclear where DiSario stands in his battle with the HOA as of this writing. According to KATV, DiSario plans to speak with an attorney and the National Police Association about the situation. In 2020, the NPA helped a Colorado police chaplain win a fight with his HOA over his right to fly a thin blue line flag.