School-Aged Children, College Students In Maryland Among Recipients Of Racist Text Messages: AG School-Aged Children, College Students In Maryland Among Recipients Of Racist Text Messages: AG
School-Aged Children, College Students In Maryland Among Recipients Of Racist Text Messages: AG Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown is imploring possible victims to come forward after the state was the latest to be targeted by a series of racist text messages that have been circulating. Brown issued an alert this week advising that his office has received multiple complaints about racist messages that were sent to Black residents, including some school-aged children and college-aged students, "causing significant distress." "Without knowing or making any assumptions about the senders’ true intent," Anne Arundel County Schools Superintendent Mark Bedell said in a statement.  …
Legal Dispute Forces Paterson Diner To Close Weeks After Grand Reopening Legal Dispute Forces Paterson Diner To Close Weeks After Grand Reopening
Legal Dispute Forces Paterson Diner To Close Weeks After Grand Reopening A longtime Paterson diner that held a grand reopening just six weeks ago is shutting its doors due to a lawsuit that it's facing. Mr. G's posted the announcement to Facebook earlier this month. "Litigation over the name of our diner has presented significant operational challenges, which unfortunately prevented our vision for Mr. G’s Diner from coming to fruition," the statement says. "If we do re-open, it will be under a new name." As reported by NJ Advance Media, the lawsuit was filed by the diner's former owners and the family of entrepreneur and civil rights leader Russell Graddy on th…
Virtua Health's Discriminatory Drug Testing For Pregnant Patients Caused False Positives: AG Virtua Health's Discriminatory Drug Testing For Pregnant Patients Caused False Positives: AG
Virtua Health's Discriminatory Drug Testing For Pregnant Patients Caused False Positives: AG A South Jersey healthcare system was accused of discriminating against pregnant patients with a mandatory drug testing policy, authorities said. Attorney General Matthew Platkin has filed a lawsuit against Virtua Health, according to a news release on Thursday, Sept. 26. The company with corporate headquarters in Marlton operates hospitals in Voorhees, Mount Holly, and Camden. The lawsuit claimed Virtua has had a policy since 2018 of universal drug testing for all pregnant patients admitted to its hospitals' labor and delivery units. Virtua doesn't have a similar policy for those who a…
OceanFirst Bank Agrees To $15M Settlement For Redlining In Ocean County, Feds Say OceanFirst Bank Agrees To $15M Settlement For Redlining In Ocean County, Feds Say
OceanFirst Bank Agrees To $15M Settlement For Redlining In Ocean County, Feds Say A Jersey Shore bank will pay more than $15 million in a settlement for racially discriminatory lending practices known as redlining, authorities said. OceanFirst Bank agreed to the settlement to resolve the accusations that date back to 2018, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release. The Toms River-based bank was accused of redlining in predominantly non-white neighborhoods in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties. The $15 million settlement came after the Department of Justice launched its Combating Redlining Initiative in October 2021, aiming to s…
Mask Ban Arrest: Hicksville 18-Year-Old First Defendant Charged Under Controversial Law Mask Ban Arrest: Hicksville 18-Year-Old First Defendant Charged Under Controversial Law
Mask Ban Arrest: Hicksville 18-Year-Old First Defendant Charged Under Controversial Law An 18-year-old man appears to be the first person arrested under a New York county's controversial law banning face coverings in public. On Long Island, Nassau County Police were called about a suspicious person in Levittown who was walking along Spindle Road shortly before 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25. Officers arrived to find 18-year-old Wesslin Omar Ramirez-Castillo, of Hicksville, dressed in black and wearing a face mask, police said. Earlier Report: NY County's Mask Ban Causes 'Great Stress, Fear,' Federal Lawsuit Argues The officer said the teen displayed “suspicious” behavior whi…
Atlantic City Honors Mississippi Civil Rights Leaders At 1964 DNC With Historic Marker Atlantic City Honors Mississippi Civil Rights Leaders At 1964 DNC With Historic Marker
Atlantic City Honors Mississippi Civil Rights Leaders At 1964 DNC With Historic Marker As Chicago hosts the Democratic National Convention, Atlantic City honored a historic civil rights moment that happened when the party's nomination event was held at Boardwalk Hall about 60 years ago. Atlantic City leaders unveiled a Mississippi Freedom Trail Marker historical marker at Kennedy Plaza on Tuesday, Aug. 20. The plaque is the trail's first one outside of the state of Mississippi. The marker commemorates when the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) arrived in Atlantic City for the 1964 Democratic National Convention. The MFDP's delegates argued that their state's al…
City Of Yonkers To Pay $50K To Activist As Part Of Settled Civil Rights Lawsuit City Of Yonkers To Pay $50K To Activist As Part Of Settled Civil Rights Lawsuit
City Of Yonkers To Pay $50K To Activist As Part Of Settled Civil Rights Lawsuit A city in Westchester will pay $50,000 to an activist as part of a settled civil rights lawsuit filed after his arrest at a city council meeting.  According to court documents filed in July in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, the City of Yonkers will pay the sum to settle a lawsuit filed by activist Hector Santiago in September 2023 following his arrest at a city council meeting in 2022.  In the lawsuit, Santiago claimed his rights were violated when he was detained during a Yonkers City Council meeting on Nov. 22, 2022. According to the lawsuit complai…
No Jail Time For Ex-Mass. Officer Who Punched Handcuffed Man 13 Times: Feds No Jail Time For Ex-Mass. Officer Who Punched Handcuffed Man 13 Times: Feds
No Jail Time For Ex-Mass. Officer Who Punched Handcuffed Man 13 Times: Feds A former Weymouth police officer who was caught on video camera beating a handcuffed suspect will not serve any jail time, federal authorities said.  Justin Chappell, 43, was sentenced to two years of supervised release, with the first six months to be spent under house arrest, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said on Tuesday, July 16. He must also complete 40 hours of community service each year of his supervised release.  Chappell pleaded guilty in May to a single count of deprivation of rights under color of law, the prosecutor said.  The assault happened on July 2,…
First African American Westchester County Legislator From Yonkers Dies: Was 'Revered Figure' First African American Westchester County Legislator From Yonkers Dies: Was 'Revered Figure'
First African American Westchester County Legislator From Yonkers Dies: Was 'Revered Figure' Westchester is mourning the loss of its first African American County Legislator known as an iconic figure who fought for civil rights and equality for all.  Former Westchester County Legislator and Yonker resident Herman Keith died on Saturday, June 22 after a long illness due to complications with Alzheimer’s disease, Westchester County officials announced on Wednesday, July 3.   Keith, who Westchester officials called a "revered figure," was originally from Alabama and served in the US Army, eventually rising to the rank of 1st Lieutenant. He later moved to …
Asbury Park Restaurant Fined For Discriminating Against Nonbinary Customer, AG Says Asbury Park Restaurant Fined For Discriminating Against Nonbinary Customer, AG Says
Asbury Park Restaurant Fined For Discriminating Against Nonbinary Customer, AG Says A restaurant in Asbury Park was fined after it was accused of having a dress code that discriminated against a nonbinary person, officials said. Brando’s Citi Cucina agreed to several punishments, including a $5,000 payment to the customer, Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a news release on Friday, June 28. The restaurant was found to have violated the state's Law Against Discrimination (LAD). Investigators said Brando's refused to serve the customer because staff believed they weren't following the restaurant's dress code, banning men from wearing sleeveless shirts while …
Former Maryland Police Officer Pepper-Sprayed Handcuffed Man During DC Stop: Feds Former Maryland Police Officer Pepper-Sprayed Handcuffed Man During DC Stop: Feds
Former Maryland Police Officer Pepper-Sprayed Handcuffed Man During DC Stop: Feds A former police officer in Maryland who broke bad has been convicted for violating a man's civil rights, using excessive force, and crossing the line during an incident in Northeast DC, federal authorities announced. Officer Philip Dupree, 40, formerly of the Fairmont Heights Police Department in Prince George’s County, was found guilty on Monday, June 17 for abusing a suspect during a traffic stop that was recorded by his victim's sister. "We depend on law enforcement officers to protect our communities from crimes and to protect our civil rights while doing so,” US Attorney Matthew Graves…
Bill Banning Transgender Athletes Advanced By Long Island Lawmakers Bill Banning Transgender Athletes Advanced By Long Island Lawmakers
Bill Banning Transgender Athletes Advanced By Long Island Lawmakers A month after the Nassau County Executive’s executive order banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports was struck down in court, a new proposed bill with the same goal has been advanced to the next step. After an at-times heated discussion between lawmakers and public commenters at a Nassau County legislative committee meeting on Monday, June 10, a bill aiming to bar transgender women from women’s sports passed an initial committee vote. Earlier Report: Nassau County Bans Transgender Athletes From Competing In Women's, Girls Sports The bill, which was introd…