Data center petitioner alleges county violated civil rights with past detainment at fair
Broadview data center opponent Kassi Solberg sued Yellowstone County, alleging deputies unlawfully detained and intimidated her while she gathered signatures against Quantica’s proposed data center. The lawsuit also seeks to halt the project and raises concerns about its water use, gas-powered generation and environmental impacts.
Kassi Solberg, a Broadview resident campaigning for voter restrictions on data centers, filed a civil-rights lawsuit against Yellowstone County over her August detention at MontanaFair. Her attorney, Brian Miller, alleges that sheriff’s deputies violated Solberg’s free-speech rights and attempted to intimidate signature-gathering efforts. Interim Sheriff Kent O’Donnell said the incident followed a request from MetraPark security and that an internal investigation found no criminal charges were warranted, although he acknowledged communications could have been clearer.
The case also challenges Quantica’s proposed Broadview data center and associated power facilities. Solberg alleges the project could harm local water access, generate substantial pollution and be improperly approved; Quantica disputes those claims and says it intends to develop the project responsibly. Quantica has separately argued that a revised voter-approval initiative may be illegal, while Solberg is seeking a permanent halt to the data center. Signature collection for the revised initiative remains underway.