BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—A Crawford County Municipal Court judge has ruled that former Bucyrus City Council President Kurt Fankhauser did not use “fighting words” during a public confrontation last May, dismissing disorderly conduct charges against him.

The ruling, issued this morning by Judge Shane Leuthold, follows a bench trial stemming from a May 11, 2026, incident involving Fankhauser and local resident Logan Beeman. The two men clashed in public following a press conference, with Fankhauser recording Beeman on his cell phone while repeatedly stating, “Justice for Shane.” The phrase referred to the fentanyl overdose death of Shane Wisterman, for which some in the community held Beeman responsible. Notably NO CHARGES were ever filed against any suspect in that investigation.

During the exchange, Fankhauser called Beeman a “piece of sh—” and accused him of killing Wisterman.

Beeman eventually slapped at Fankhauser’s phone and poured cold coffee on him. While Beeman faces a pending assault charge, the city had also charged Fankhauser with disorderly conduct, alleging his verbal attacks constituted “fighting words” likely to provoke violence.

In his decision, Judge Leuthold emphasized that the “fighting-words” doctrine is narrowly defined by Ohio and U.S. Supreme Court precedent. The court found that “mere profanity is insufficient” to lose First Amendment protection and that the context of the speech is critical.

“The video clearly shows the Defendant holding up a phone and trying to evade a physical confrontation,” the court noted, adding that Fankhauser’s body language indicated he did not want to engage in a fight.” Judge Leuthold write in his decision.

The Judge  further ruled that Fankhauser’s statements—including “Justice for Shane,” “You killed him,” and “piece of shit”—amounted to expressions of opinion rather than threats of present or future violence. Additionally, the court excluded Beeman’s out-of-court statements alleging Fankhauser called him a “murderer,” citing concerns regarding the Confrontation Clause, as Beeman did not testify at trial.

The court concluded that Fankhauser’s conduct did not meet the legal threshold required to criminalize speech.

Logan Beeman is scheduled to face a jury trial on the assault charge on August 31.