New Hampshire Bakery Wins First Amendment Battle Over Pastry Mural

The mural, painted by local high school students, features sunbeams shining down on a mountain range of doughnuts, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and other treats.

A customer holds the door for a family arriving at Leavitt's Country Bakery in Conway, N.H, on April 13, 2023. Robert F. Bukaty/AP Photo

A federal judge has ruled that the New Hampshire town of Conway violated the free speech rights of a local bakery owner when it attempted to force the removal or alteration of a colorful mural depicting pastries, concluding a closely watched First Amendment dispute.

U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante issued the decision Monday, siding with Sean Young, owner of Leavitt’s Country Bakery, after a one-day trial earlier this year.