Category Archives: Civil Rights
New York City Judge Recommends Criminal Penalties for Judge Who Threatens to Deport Tenant
In September, for the first time, a New York judge recommended that the landlord who threatened to call Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) be assessed a criminal fine for violating anti-discrimination and human rights laws. Still, according to reports, there are additional legal proceedings that must occur before the judge’s recommendation goes into effect;… Read More »
New Jersey Wrestler Forced To Cut Dreadlocks Leads To Civil Rights Concerns & Investigations
The video of a wrestler in New Jersey who was forced to cut his dreadlocks for a December wrestling match led to the opening of a state civil rights investigation, igniting accusations of abuse of power, racism, discrimination, and bias in high school sports. The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association has now also… Read More »
State Prosecutor Accuses DOJ of Blocking Investigation into Potential Police Misconduct
The state prosecutor is suing the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) over what many suspect to be police misconduct and civil rights issues involving police officers (members of a fugitive task force) shooting 59 bullets into a schizophrenic college student. While the police claimed that they had a warrant to enter the victim’s residency… Read More »
New York City’s New Fleet of Drones Has Civil Rights Advocates Concerned
In early December, the New York Police Department (NYPD) announced that it would soon be launching a fleet of 14 drones across the city to monitor people and “reach remote areas in crime scenes.” This has a number of civil rights advocates concerned because the policy governing the drones technically allows for their use… Read More »
New York State’s Court of Appeals Finds That Immigrants Deserve Jury Trials, Regardless Of Charge
In a huge step forward for immigrants accused of crimes and threatened with deportation, on November 27, New York State’s Court of Appeals ruled that immigrants are entitled to jury trials, regardless of the severity of the crime with which they are charged, because the potential penalty of deportation is so severe. This is… Read More »
Department Of Education Proposes To Roll Back Civil Rights Protections for Victims of Sexual Assault and Harassment
On November 16, the Department of Education released a proposed rule to dramatically limit schools’ obligations to students who have experienced sexual violence. Although it preserves some important protections associated with the process, including the involvement of an impartial investigator, the opportunity to present rebuttal evidence, equal right to appeal for both parties, and… Read More »
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Calls on Administration to Recommit to Police Oversight
After former Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memorandum reducing the ability of federal law enforcement officials to curb police abuse state-by-state, on November 15, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights called on the Justice Department to recommit to police oversight, including the use of binding consent decrees in order to promote constitutional policing… Read More »
Midterm Elections Will Likely Bring Significant Change to Congress & Our Civil Rights
On November 6, the midterm elections made a number of significant changes to Congress that will likely have long-lasting impacts on criminal justice, voting rights, and other important civil rights. Below, we’ve discussed some of the priority bills that the 116th Congress may tackle, and the prospective impacts on our civil liberties: Immigration A… Read More »
Civil Rights Enforcement & Education in the Trump Era
The Department of Education and Secretary Betsy DeVos have drawn a significant amount of civil rights concerns, especially when it comes to affirmative action policies, school segregation, and Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in all federally-funded education programs. Many feel that DeVos has effectively all but completely abandoned her civil… Read More »
Pittsburgh Shooter Charged With Federal & State Homicide & Hate Crimes
The mass shooting at the Pittsburgh Synagogue that killed 11 people involves the overlap of criminal charges (criminal homicide, aggravated assault, and ethnic intimidation), hate crimes (obstruction the free exercise of religious beliefs), and civil rights issues. Armed with a number of assault rifles and handguns, the suspect allegedly opened fire inside the synagogue… Read More »
