Latest Civil rights violations News

Police sued over wrongful arrest deny racial profiling claim
BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts police department whose officers are accused of wrongfully arresting a Black man while pursuing a white suspect said Friday that an outside investigation found no evidence of racial profiling. The town manager for Arlington, a Boston suburb, and its...
Transgender child sues over Tennessee school bathroom law
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A transgender child and her parents sued the Tennessee Department of Education on Thursday over a law that prohibits transgender students and staff from using school bathrooms or locker rooms that match their gender identities. The suit was filed in federal...

Suit: Police chasing white suspect wrongly arrest Black man
BOSTON (AP) — A suburban Boston police officer who was pursuing a white suspect pinned a 20-year-old Black man to the ground as he was walking home and placed a knee on the man's neck despite having no evidence that he was involved in any crime, according to a federal civil rights lawsuit filed...

No charges for officer who pepper-sprayed Army lieutenant
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A former police officer in Virginia should not be criminally charged but should be investigated for potential civil rights violations after he pepper-sprayed, struck and handcuffed a Black U.S. Army lieutenant during a 2020 traffic stop, a special prosecutor has determined. ...
Family of intoxicated California man killed by police sues
MODESTO, Calif. (AP) — Lawyers filed a wrongful death and excessive force lawsuit against the city of Modesto after police fatally shot an intoxicated man armed with a trailer hitch after his father-in-law called 911 seeking help. Civil rights attorney John Burris announced the...
Unemployed wrongly accused of fraud can seek cash from state
DETROIT (AP) — Thousands of people who were wrongly accused of fraud when seeking unemployment benefits can seek financial relief from the state, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, breaking new ground when someone claims their constitutional rights have been violated by the government. ...
Former Kentucky probation officer charged in federal case
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A former probation officer in Kentucky has been charged with having unwanted sexual contact with people under his supervision, federal officials said. Ronald R. Tyler, 55, of Shepherdsville, was charged in an indictment that was unsealed Friday, the U.S....

Feds: Illegal dumping in Houston may violate civil rights
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department said Friday it is investigating illegal dumping in Houston, including dead bodies and medical waste, that officials said is plaguing Black and Latino neighborhoods in the nation’s fourth largest city. The investigation will be led by the...

Ruling may mean less time for 2 who violated Floyd's rights
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge on Friday sided with two former Minneapolis police officers who were convicted of violating George Floyd's civil rights, ruling that the guidelines for their sentences will be calculated in a way that could mean substantially less prison time for them. ...
Gun groups sue over Delaware gun control legislation
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Delaware gun rights groups have filed a federal lawsuit seeking an injunction against recently passed gun control legislation. The Delaware State Sportsmen’s Association filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Wednesday, The News Journal reported....
