KISSIMMEE, Fla. — A Florida homeowners association says it’s against the rules for an Army veteran to fly a Puerto Rican flag outside her home.
The Rolling Hills Estates HOA in Kissimmee recently told Frances Santiago that flags other than a U.S. flag, a military flag or a sports flag aren't permitted.
She served for 14 years as an Army medic and deployed to Iraq twice, according to a report by Orlando television station WFTV-TV.
“I fought for this, to be able to do this. So, I don't see a problem with flying my flag here,” Santiago said.
Santiago told the station that she and her husband, Efrain, decided to fly the flag to support protesters demanding the governor’s resignation in the U.S. territory.
Three weeks later, she got a violation notice from the association in the Orlando suburb.
“I’m proud of my roots, who I am, [where] I come from,” Efrain Santiago said in the news report. “We’re not offending anyone. None of the neighbors were offended with us putting the flag there.”
The couple says it may be time for the HOA to revisit its rules, especially with Kissimmee’s growing Puerto Rican population. They’ve hired a lawyer and say they have no intention of lowering their flag.
