People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) filed a lawsuit against the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) on June 4, 2026, claiming that the agency unlawfully prohibited the organization from advertising in the metro system. The lawsuit challenges WMATA's decision to reject three of PETA's proposed advertisements last year, which the agency stated violated its policy against ads intended to influence public opinion on contentious issues. PETA contends that this decision infringes on its First Amendment rights.
The complaint alleges that WMATA, under General Manager Randy Clarke, has imposed a blanket ban on PETA advertisements, regardless of their compliance with agency policies. The proposed ads included images of animals with captions soliciting donations and promoting PETA's membership. This lawsuit follows a similar legal action PETA took against WMATA in 2017, which was dropped in 2025 after the agency clarified its advertising criteria. PETA argues that the recent rejection contradicts these updated guidelines. PETA's General Counsel, Asher Smith, expressed the organization's intent to prove that WMATA's rejection was unconstitutional and to affirm its right to solicit donations for animal rights initiatives. WMATA has been contacted for a response.
