RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The ACLU of Virginia joined the lawsuit against the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) on Tuesday after the department revoked a local man's personalized license plate, leading to a dispute over free speech.

On Tuesday, Sept. 2, the ACLU filed the opening brief in its lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit after Virginia resident Curtis Whateley's license plate was reportedly revoked by the DMV.

In 2023, Whateley applied for and received a personalized license plate with the character combination "FTP&ATF" from the DMV. He drove with the plate for over a year.

According to the ACLU, an anonymous citizen complained about his license plate and, as a result, the DMV recalled it and "refused to allow him to continue using the message."

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