CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – A Champaign County judge has denied a request from Sooie Bros. co-owner Alven Allison for a no-contact order against the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD), following claims that health officials were stalking and harassing him, his family, and his business associates.
Judge Jason Bohm ruled Thursday that the allegations presented did not meet the legal threshold for stalking. He noted that since the Board of Health had already denied Allison’s appeal of the restaurant’s closure, his next step would be to file a formal complaint disputing that decision.
Allison filed the petition earlier this week, saying CUPHD had gone beyond enforcement and was now targeting him personally. He alleged that after the health district ordered Sooie Bros. closed in late February, officials returned to his business, took photos of his family’s vehicles, and later mailed them to his home. He also claimed CUPHD collected screenshots from social media posts and comments about his restaurant, which he interpreted as an intimidation tactic.
In response, Allison requested that the court prohibit CUPHD officials from contacting him, coming near his businesses—including Sooie Bros. and CBPB Popcorn Shop—or discussing them publicly or on social media.
CUPHD has not commented publicly, citing the ongoing nature of the legal proceedings. A follow-up hearing is scheduled for April 28.