Man Had His Name On His License Plate For 25 Years But Now People Are Saying It’s Offensive

McGill University professor Carrie Rentschler claimed that Lorne Grabher’s personalized license plate, bearing his family name “GRABHER,” promoted sexual violence against women. As a result, the Nova Scotia Registrar of Motor Vehicles revoked the plate in 2016.

Since then, Grabher has been fighting to reclaim it. Recently, the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia awarded him $750 to cover court costs. Justice Pierre Muise stated that this cost award was fair for both parties.

Grabher’s lawyer, Jay Cameron, argued against the Crown’s report, which linked the “GRABHER” plate to Donald Trump’s infamous comments about women during his 2005 presidential campaign. Cameron pointed out that the report didn’t acknowledge that “GRABHER” was a family name but rather connected it to Trump’s statements.

Cameron emphasized that there was no evidence in the case, except for Rentschler’s report, tying the plate to Trump. He questioned whether Canadians’ freedom of expression should be affected by comments from a foreign figure like Trump.

The Crown’s lawyer, Alison Campbell, defended Rentschler’s report, saying it was based on academic research about how gender violence is represented in society.

Grabher maintained that the plate, gifted to his late father in 1990, was a symbol of their Austrian-German heritage.