Caleb Gross, Author at Decatur Legal Page

Parents Sue Cincinnati School District for Civil Rights Violations

The parents of four students that were suspended from an Ohio school have filed suit against the school district and police officers for alleged constitutional violations. In all, fourteen students were accused of making off campus rap videos that school officials claim to evidence hand gestures and other elements that are synonymous with purported gang involvement.

As detailed in this article, the suit alleges that based on imagery and evidence collected by the school’s administration, “school administrators accused more than a dozen African-American students of making ‘street signs’ and belonging to a ‘gang.”

Attorney for the Plaintiffs Robert Newnan accuses the school of ignoring identical behavior by white students, stating, “This case is about racial stereotyping.”

Attorney for the district stated that fourteen students were suspended in April for threats made at school and through social media against other students and school staff, “this is about reasonable school rules that were violated in a serious way.” Not stating specifically what rules were broken by the students, the violations “were severely interfering with the school operation and threatened the safety of some students.”

If you or someone you know believes their civil rights have been violated, the team at Radford & Keebaugh can help. Contact us by phone at (678) 369-3609 or use our contact form.

Editor Sues Popular Magazine for Race Dicrimination

In a recent suit filed by Tatsha Robertson, the 48 year old alleges she was the victim of a continued practice of race discrimination during her employment at People magazine. According to the suit, Robertson was, “the only black Senior Editor the magazine has ever had.”

As detailed in this article, Robertson left her position at Essence magazine in 2010 to work at People. It was there that Robertson claims that her boss, executive editor Betsy Gleick, subjected her to a hostile work environment.

Robertson alleges that Gleick made such comments as, “You need to talk like everyone else here. You’re not at Essence anymore,” and that the popular tabloid magazine was only interested in articles appealing to “white, middle class suburbia.”

According to the suit, a total of 14 out of 265 People Magazine covers have focused on African-American individuals since 2010, Robertson’s attorney states, “The media has a responsibility to report and act with integrity. People Magazine has betrayed that responsibility by engaging in discrimination, both in its pages and through its employment practices.”

If you or someone you know thinks they have experienced discrimination due to race, the team at Radford & Keebaugh can help. Contact us by phone at (678) 369-3609 or use our contact form.

Excessive Force Suit Filed Against Missouri Police and City of Ferguson

As a result of the recent violence in Ferguson, Missouri, six individuals have filed a lawsuit against the city and members of its police department, among other named Defendants. The suit alleges civil rights violations and seeks an award equaling $40 million. Caught in the aftermath of the August 9 killing of 18 year old Michael Brown by police, the plaintiffs share similar stories as described in this article.

Two plaintiffs claim they were parties in a peaceful protest when officers fired tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades on the protestors. Another plaintiff claims that polices confiscated his camera and arrested him while he was shooting footage of the ensuing chaos.

One plaintiff alleges that he was shot with rubber bullets by police while on his way to visit his mother. The suit further claims that he was sprayed with pepper spray and beaten after falling to the ground.

One plaintiff alleges that while she and her son were eating at McDonald’s, police officers armed with rifles ordered them out. Once out of the restaurant, the suit claims, the officers pushed her to the ground, handcuffed and arrested both her and her son.

Attorney for the Plaintiffs, Reginald Greene, “This is a blatant example o how police handle African-Americans… how it can go terribly, terribly wrong. You have a right to peaceful assembly.”

If you or someone you know thinks they have experienced excessive force, wrongful arrest or malicious prosecution, the team at Radford & Keebaugh can help. Contact us by phone at (678) 369-3609 or use our contact form.

Grocery Store Chain Charged With Religious Discrimination

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act mandates that employers must attempt to make reasonable accommodations for an employee’s religious beliefs. As detailed in this article, Victaurious L. Bailey began working for Food Lion in 2011. At the time of his hire with grocery store chain, due to his commitments as a Jehovah’s Witness minister and elder, Bailey requested that he be allowed to take Sundays and Thursday evenings off. The store manager agreed to Bailey’s request.

As alleged in a recent suit filed on Bailey’s behalf, Bailey was eventually transferred to another location and told by his new store manager that he as a manager did not understand how Bailey could work for Food Lion and not work on Sundays. Bailey was subsequently fired due to his unavailability to work on Sundays.

Regional Attorney for the EEOC, Lynette A. Barnes, “Employers need to ensure that their supervisors and managers who are called upon to make decisions on employees’ requests for religious accommodations are fully knowledgeable of their obligations under federal law. Many decision makers seem to forget that unless providing a reasonable accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the company, the accommodation must be provided.”

If you or someone you know thinks they have experienced employment discrimination, the team at Radford & Keebaugh can help. Contact us by phone at (678) 369-3609 or use our contact form.

Barney’s Accused of Racial Profiling

Amid allegations of racial discrimination, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman began an investigation into Barney’s and the store’s alleged practice of racial profiling. In 2013, two individuals filed suit against Barney’s. As described in this article, Trayon Christian sued Barney’s after he was falsely accused of stealing a belt from the store and Kayla Phillips sued after she was racially profiled by store personnel.

As a result of the Attorney General’s investigation, it was found that a “disproportionate number of black and Latino customers had been detained at Barney’s on suspicion of shoplifting or credit card fraud.” Additionally, the report stated that Barney’s did not have written policies in place to prevent racial profiling.

A former sales associate of Barney’s claims to have witnessed on a regular basis racial profiling by white employees of the store.

In addition to the $525,000 settlement, Barney’s has agreed to retain an anti-profiling consultant, implement new anti-profiling policies and provide profiling training for sales and security personnel.

If you or someone you know thinks they have experienced discrimination due to race, the team at Radford & Keebaugh can help. Contact us by phone at (678) 369-3609 or use our contact form.