HAYDEN, Idaho — Apple TV+ is releasing a documentary on Jeremy Morris, the self-proclaimed Christmas fanatic who was sued by West Hayden Homeowners Association (HOA) for his Christmas light display.
The documentary, titled "‘Twas The Fight Before Christmas," will premiere Thursday, Nov. 25 exclusively on Apple TV+.
"‘Twas the Fight Before Christmas" details the story from the perspective of Morris, his family, his neighbors and the rest of the people who were involved in the display.
The story of Jeremy Morris’ fight for his display began back in 2015 when he and his family moved to Hayden, Idaho with the intent to host an annual charity Christmas show with Santa Claus, carolers and a live nativity scene featuring a live camel.
Morris’ goal did not sit well with his neighbors, as the homeowners association argued that the show would violate rules concerning traffic, excessive noise and brightness. The HOA threatened to sue Morris but eventually backed down and the Christmas show went on in 2016. In 2017, Morris decided not to put up lights.
“I am the only American, probably the only person in the world, who has been banned by a federal court from decorating for Christmas,” Morris said in the trailer.
Originally, Morris had accused the HOA of discriminating against him for being Christian. In October of 2018, a jury ruled in favor of Morris, who said that his family was embarrassed and ostracized by the West Hayden Homeowners Association. Morris was awarded $60,000 in compensatory damages and $15,000 in punitive damages.
This verdict was overturned the following year in April after U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill granted the West Hayden HOA a new trial and ordered Morris to pay the homeowners association legal fees. Based on the original letter the HOA sent to Morris, Winmill asserted that the it was not the board’s intention to discriminate against Morris based on religion.
Winmill added that Morris and his wife testified that neighbors had threatened to kill them. Morris had recorded some of these conversations. In one of the recordings, Morris said a homeowner told him, “he is gonna take care of me and that the people that showed up, the militia people or whatever the three percenters could not protect me.”
“My neighbors are essentially terrorists,” Morris said in the trailer.
The judge wrote that the court determined the testimony be stricken as evidence because the HOA could not be held responsible for the actions of homeowners. Winmill wrote that the unfair prejudice by the Homeowners Association was compounded by the fact that the “death threats” were embellished.
In a prior interview with KREM 2, Morris called the judge's decision "awful."
As of recently, a religious liberty law firm filed an appeal on behalf of Morris following the overturn.
