Southern Poverty Law Center - Georgia /states/georgia en Hate Group Urged Georgia Governor to Ban Trans Kids From School Sports /hatewatch/2024/08/22/hate-group-urged-georgia-governor-ban-trans-kids-school-sports <div class="field field-name-field-story-type field-type-list-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even ">Hatewatch</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-long-text field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><p>Anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortion groups have joined forces with Georgia’s largest association of Baptist churches to sway Gov. Brian Kemp in support of a far-right policy agenda that rolls back the rights of transgender children, according to emails obtained through a public records request.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-title-field field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><h1>Hate Group Urged Georgia Governor to Ban Trans Kids From School Sports</h1> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><p>In a February 2022 email to Kemp’s office, Cole Muzio, president of the anti-LGBTQ+ hate group Frontline Policy Council (FPC), said he believed a state prohibition against transgender children participating in public school sports “is going to be the issue (more than CRT [critical race theory], obscenity, parental rights, etc.) where the Governor needs to devote the most political capital inside the building to bring to fruition.”</p> <p>Muzio’s email is one of several exchanged between Kemp’s office and a self-described group of “conservative leaders” in the state who held two meetings with the governor – on Feb. 21, 2022, and Feb. 15, 2023. In both cases, the emails show the groups make stripping away transgender rights a top priority. In pursuing their policy goals, they are perpetuating a dangerous trope that LGBTQ+ people, especially trans people and drag performers, are a threat to women and children.</p> <h2>Coordinated lobbying</h2> <p>Hatewatch <a href="/hatewatch/2024/03/28/georgia-non-profits-president-general-counsel-oppose-lgbtq-rights-legislature-raise-ethics">previously reported</a> on ethics questions raised by Muzio’s interactions with state policymakers without being registered as a lobbyist with the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission. From 2017 to 2022, Muzio was registered as a lobbyist for Frontline Policy Action and its progenitor, Frontline Policy Alliance of Georgia. Muzio was not registered as a lobbyist at the time of the February 2023 meeting with Kemp.</p> <p>The list of proposed attendees at the February 2023 meeting included FPC’s Muzio and Taylor Hawkins, who was registered as a lobbyist for Frontline Policy Council; Tim Head, executive director of Faith and Freedom Coalition; Kevin Cooke of Americans for Prosperity; and Claire Bartlett, executive director of the anti-abortion Georgia Life Alliance. The group also included Mike Griffin of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board (GBMB). A similar but smaller group assembled for the 2022 meeting with Kemp, according to the emails.</p> <p>In a Feb. 7, 2023, message to Kemp’s office, Griffin said the groups represent the “most conservative organizations. And they are big supporters of the Governor.”</p> <p>The same email includes a list of priority issues that repeat numerous anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortion tropes and prioritize government interventions in bodily autonomy including “abortion pill legislation”; banning gender-affirming health care for young people; banning “sex education/discussion” in public schools and making “sex ed opt-in”; and what Griffin referred to as “drag queen harmful to minors legislation.”</p> <p>The list is similar to the one shared prior to the February 2022 meeting proposed by Muzio, in the same email in which he stated his belief that Kemp should “devote the most political capital” to banning transgender kids from all public school sports. In his email, Muzio says he believes that Kemp is already “out front and leading on much of our agenda” but offers to coordinate with his office to “make sure we are all on the same page regarding these issues.”</p> <p>Muzio tells Kemp’s scheduler in the Feb. 17, 2022, email that he supports a House bill (which was not assigned a number at the time of the email) sponsored by state Rep. Will Wade, which Muzio said included language that barred trans girls from playing sports in all public schools.</p> <p>As originally introduced, however, the bill only prohibited teaching “divisive concepts” in public education – a <a href="/news/2023/06/22/georgia-teacher-fired-reading-childrens-book-about-acceptance-class">common strategy</a> among conservative legislatures to forbid public schools from teaching such concepts as implicit bias and systemic racism.</p> <p>According to <a href="https://theatlantavoice.com/transgender-sports-ban-passes-at-the-eleventh-hour/" target="_blank"><em>The Atlanta Voice</em></a>, Wade’s bill became law after a last-minute amendment was inserted in the Senate to prohibit trans girls from playing sports in high school, but not college. Kemp signed that bill into law on April 28, 2022.</p> <h2>Campaign contributions</h2> <p>State campaign finance disclosures show that on May 17, 2022, Frontline Policy Action spent more than $2,000 on campaign literature and mailers supporting Wade in that year’s Republican Party primary for his 9<sup>th</sup> District House seat.</p> <p>FPC continues to lobby and raise money to oppose LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive health care and to pursue legal actions to bar transgender athletes from college sports.</p> <p>According to campaign finance records, in 2024, Frontline Policy Action gave $350,000 to Kemp’s Georgians First Leadership Committee to support the campaign of state Supreme Court Justice Andrew Pinson, who was appointed to the court by Kemp in 2022. Less than one week after the donation, Kemp announced that the committee planned to spend $500,000 to elect Pinson, suggesting Frontline’s money made a major impact in a race that was closely tied to restrictions on abortion in the state. Pinson won election to a six-year term in May 2024.</p> <p>In April 2024, Muzio appeared at a press conference on Facebook to promote a lawsuit filed by anti-trans activist Riley Gaines and others against the NCAA and the University System of Georgia. The lawsuit claims that allowing transgender athletes to compete in school sports violates federal Title IX rules.</p> <p>In the press conference, Muzio characterized transgender identity as “the left’s ultimate attempt to shake their fist at God” and repeated anti-LGBTQ+ pseudoscientific claims that equate transgender identity with mental illness, saying transgender identity is a “fantasy” that can no longer be “indulged.”</p> <p>“The first gift [God] gave to man was woman,” Muzio said.</p> <p>Reflecting both the <a href="/fighting-hate/extremist-files/ideology/male-supremacy">male supremacy</a> and Christian theocracy supporting much of the anti-LGBTQ+ movement, Muzio concluded, “We need to make sure that biological reality is enforced all the way through” the public education system.</p> <p><em>Illustration at top: Emails exchanged between Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s office and a self-described group of “conservative leaders” include conversations regarding banning transgender kids from all public school sports, and other anti-LGBTQ+ policies. (Credit: Ҵý)</em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-person field-type-entityreference field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><article id="node-18111" class="node node-person node-teaser node-odd"> <div class="content"> <div class="group-text-field-group"><div class="field field-name-title-field field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><a href="/about/staff/rg-cravens">R.G. Cravens</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- /content --> <div class="links"> </div> <!-- /links --> </article> <!-- /article #node --></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="Hate Group Urged Georgia Governor to Ban Trans Kids From School Sports - Southern Poverty Law Center" addthis:url="/hatewatch/2024/08/22/hate-group-urged-georgia-governor-ban-trans-kids-school-sports"><a href=" " class="addthis_button_facebook" aria-label="Facebook: Share this page"></a> <a href=" " class="addthis_button_twitter" aria-label="Twitter: Share this page"></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-publish-date field-type-date field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><span class="date-display-single">August 22, 2024</span></div> </div> </div> Thu, 22 Aug 2024 20:18:28 +0000 rudy.isaza_2663 18123 at In Re: Sandersville Railroad Company's Petition for Approval to Acquire Real Estate by Condemnation /seeking-justice/case-docket/re-sandersville-railroad-companys-petition-approval-acquire-real-estate <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><p>The privately owned Sandersville Railroad Company is threatening to use eminent domain against property owners in a predominantly Black community in Sparta, Georgia, who have refused to sell portions of their land for a rail spur (a separate track that is connected to the main rail line).</p> <p>The railroad company wants to lay tracks for a spur to serve a nearby quarry that is already a source of contention within the community. Currently living with the quarry’s vibrations and the sounds of trucks transporting rocks nearby, members of the community do not want a train running through their property or near their homes. To make matters worse, eminent domain is a leading cause of land loss and the loss of generational wealth in African American communities.</p> <p>The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Economic Justice team has been consulting with and supporting the community’s campaign against the railroad, including highlighting the issue on the <a href="/news/2023/02/24/sparta-georgia-community-fight-against-railroad-line">Ҵý website</a> and in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/03/sparta-majority-black-georgia-town-railroad-land-seizures" target="_blank">national publications</a>.</p> <p>The Ҵý’s clients were also featured in a mini-documentary by CBS News titled <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A12Rv68Aa30" target="_blank"><em>40 Acres and a Mule</em></a>. The railroad has started condemnation proceedings before the Georgia Public Service Commission against property owners who are represented by counsel from the Institute for Justice.</p> <p>The Ҵý has intervened in the condemnation proceeding to represent the No Railroad in Our Community Coalition, an unincorporated association of impacted community members.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-publish-date field-type-date field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Date Filed</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><span class="date-display-single">June 20, 2023</span></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-issue-area field-type-entityreference field-label-above"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Issue Area</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><a href="/our-issues/economic-justice">Economic Justice</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-documents field-type-file field-label-above"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Related Documents</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/nrocc-verified-application-for-leave-intervene.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=25108784" title="nrocc-verified-application-for-leave-intervene.pdf">Verified Application for Leave to Intervene</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/nrocc-post-hearing-brief-georgia-public-service-commission.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=615578" title="nrocc-post-hearing-brief-georgia-public-service-commission.pdf">Post-Hearing Brief</a></span></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-title-field field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><h1>In Re: Sandersville Railroad Company&#039;s Petition for Approval to Acquire Real Estate by Condemnation</h1> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="In Re: Sandersville Railroad Company&#039;s Petition for Approval to Acquire Real Estate by Condemnation - Southern Poverty Law Center" addthis:url="/seeking-justice/case-docket/re-sandersville-railroad-companys-petition-approval-acquire-real-estate"><a href=" " class="addthis_button_facebook" aria-label="Facebook: Share this page"></a> <a href=" " class="addthis_button_twitter" aria-label="Twitter: Share this page"></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 16 Feb 2024 19:04:09 +0000 rudy.isaza_2663 17846 at Rinderle, et al., v. Cobb County School District, et al. /seeking-justice/case-docket/rinderle-et-al-v-cobb-county-school-district-et-al <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><p>Katie Rinderle, a fifth-grade gifted specialist in the Cobb County School District in Georgia, was fired from her teaching job in 2023 for reading to her class <em>My Shadow is Purple</em>, an age-appropriate picture book about self-acceptance and navigating gender stereotypes.</p> <p>In response, Rinderle and other educators are suing the Cobb County School District for discrimination, in the first federal lawsuit challenging classroom censorship policies in Georgia.</p> <p>The lawsuit describes how the district’s policies on “controversial issues” have been used to unlawfully discipline educators for mentioning LGBTQ+ and gender-nonconforming people and their experiences in the classroom, in violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.</p> <p>The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on behalf of Rinderle; Tonya Grimmke, who is a current Cobb County educator; and the Georgia Association of Educators, which serves more than 1,600 educators in Cobb County Schools.</p> <p>Rinderle and Grimmke are members of the <a href="https://gae.org/" target="_blank">Georgia Association of Educators</a> and are represented by attorneys from the <a href="https://goodmarklaw.com/" target="_blank">Goodmark Law Firm</a>, the Law Offices of Gerry Weber, the <a href="/">Southern Poverty Law Center</a>, the <a href="https://www.nea.org/" target="_blank">National Education Association</a> and the <a href="https://southerneducation.org/" target="_blank">Southern Education Foundation</a>.</p> <p>The lawsuit challenges the unconstitutionally vague policies used to justify Rinderle’s termination and that discourage educators in the school district from providing inclusive learning environments for their students. The lawsuit states that Rinderle’s termination is illegal retaliation in violation of Title IX, the civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in schools.</p> <p>The district adopted the policies in response to the passage of HB 1084, HB 1178 and SB 226 – a trio of classroom censorship laws signed by Gov. Brian Kemp in April 2022. These laws were part of a tidal wave of legislation passed across the nation that censors discussions about gender, race and sexual orientation in schools and classrooms. As of Nov. 1, 2023, at least <a href="https://pen.org/report/americas-censored-classrooms-2023/#:~:text=During%20the%202023%20state%20legislative,each%20in%20Arkansas%20and%20California" target="_blank">22 states</a> had passed restrictions on teaching about race and gender.</p> <p>The lawsuit seeks an injunction blocking the enforcement of the district’s censorship policies, as well as damages and additional relief for Rinderle, including her reinstatement.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-publish-date field-type-date field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Date Filed</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><span class="date-display-single">February 13, 2024</span></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-status field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Status</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even ">Active</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-issue-area field-type-entityreference field-label-above"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Issue Area</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><a href="/issues/childrens-rights">Children&#039;s Rights</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-documents field-type-file field-label-above"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Related Documents</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/complaint-rinderle-v-cobb-county-school-district.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=4517594" title="complaint-rinderle-v-cobb-county-school-district.pdf">Complaint</a></span></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-counsel field-type-text-long field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Co-Counsel</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><p>The National Education Association, Southern Education Foundation, The Goodmark Law Firm and the Law Offices of Gerry Weber.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-active field-type-list-boolean field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even ">Active Case</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-title-field field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><h1>Rinderle, et al., v. Cobb County School District, et al.</h1> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-number field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Case Number</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even ">1:2024cv00656</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="Rinderle, et al., v. Cobb County School District, et al. - Southern Poverty Law Center" addthis:url="/seeking-justice/case-docket/rinderle-et-al-v-cobb-county-school-district-et-al"><a href=" " class="addthis_button_facebook" aria-label="Facebook: Share this page"></a> <a href=" " class="addthis_button_twitter" aria-label="Twitter: Share this page"></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 15 Feb 2024 20:16:05 +0000 rudy.isaza_2663 17843 at Grovner, et al. v. McIntosh County, et al. /seeking-justice/case-docket/grovner-et-al-v-mcintosh-county-et-al <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><p>When an unlawful zoning amendment threatened Georgia’s historic Hogg Hummock community, the Southern Poverty Law Center and its co-counsel filed a complaint challenging the amendment in the Superior Court of McIntosh County.</p> <p>Hogg Hummock, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is the last intact Gullah-Geechee community in the Sea Islands of Georgia. It is composed of direct descendants of enslaved people who were brought to Sapelo Island from West Africa in 1802. Many of the plaintiffs named in the complaint have held this land in their family for generations and plan on passing it to their children.</p> <p>However, a zoning amendment approved by the McIntosh County Board of Commissioners would more than double the maximum size of Hogg Hummock homes from 1,400 square feet to 3,000 square feet. The change would encourage more development that would increase property valuations and taxes, creating a disproportionate impact on these descendants. Future construction would also be inconsistent with the current character and infrastructure of the community.</p> <p>The complaint, filed in October 2023, describes how the zoning amendment violates the U.S. and Georgia constitutions by denying due process and equal protection to the community residents. The Ҵý raised its concerns to the board of commissioners in a demand letter in August. It outlined how the zoning hearings and meeting process violated the state’s open meeting law, zoning procedures and the county’s civil rights obligations.</p> <p>In 1994, the McIntosh Code of Ordinances created a historic district to allow continued use and activities of the community on Sapelo Island and to recognize its unique needs related to historic resources, traditional patterns of development, threat from land speculators and housing. </p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-publish-date field-type-date field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Date Filed</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><span class="date-display-single">October 12, 2023</span></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-status field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Status</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even ">Active</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-issue-area field-type-entityreference field-label-above"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Issue Area</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><a href="/our-issues/economic-justice">Economic Justice</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-documents field-type-file field-label-above"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Related Documents</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/grovner-v-mcintosh-county-complaint.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=271841" title="grovner-v-mcintosh-county-complaint.pdf">Complaint</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/grovner-v-mcintosh-county-plaintiffs-motion-amend-complaint.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=769761" title="grovner-v-mcintosh-county-plaintiffs-motion-amend-complaint.pdf">Plaintiffs&#039; Motion for Leave to Amend Complaint</a></span></div> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/grovner-v-mcintosh-county-defendants-motion-dismiss.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=516208" title="grovner-v-mcintosh-county-defendants-motion-dismiss.pdf">Defendants&#039; Motion to Dismiss</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/grovner-v-mcintosh-response-motion-dismiss.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=4648867" title="grovner-v-mcintosh-response-motion-dismiss.pdf">Plaintiffs&#039; Response to Motion to Dismiss</a></span></div> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/grovner-v-mcintosh-county-order-motion-dismiss.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=752880" title="grovner-v-mcintosh-county-order-motion-dismiss.pdf">Order Granting Defendants&#039; Motion to Dismiss</a></span></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-counsel field-type-text-long field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Co-Counsel</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><p>Bondurant, Mixson &amp; Elmore LLP</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-active field-type-list-boolean field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even ">Active Case</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-title-field field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><h1>Grovner, et al. v. McIntosh County, et al.</h1> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-number field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Case Number</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even ">SUV2023000144</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="Grovner, et al. v. McIntosh County, et al. - Southern Poverty Law Center" addthis:url="/seeking-justice/case-docket/grovner-et-al-v-mcintosh-county-et-al"><a href=" " class="addthis_button_facebook" aria-label="Facebook: Share this page"></a> <a href=" " class="addthis_button_twitter" aria-label="Twitter: Share this page"></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> Tue, 09 Jan 2024 16:44:26 +0000 rudy.isaza_2663 17800 at Barrientos v. CoreCivic /seeking-justice/case-docket/barrientos-v-corecivic <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><p>Detained immigrants were forced to work for as little as $1 a day cleaning, cooking and performing maintenance duties at a privately operated immigrant detention center in Stewart County, Georgia, as part of a scheme to maximize its profits, according to a class action lawsuit the Southern Poverty Law Center filed in 2018 against private prison company CoreCivic Inc.</p> <p>CoreCivic subjects people detained at Stewart Detention Center (SDC) in Lumpkin to a scheme of forced labor. Detained people are deprived of sufficient access to basic necessities like food, clothing, personal hygiene products and phone calls to loved ones, and are threatened with solitary confinement and other punishments for refusing to work. The lawsuit describes how this situation violates federal anti-trafficking laws and unjustly enriches CoreCivic.</p> <p>CoreCivic’s forced labor scheme creates a lucrative profit scenario for the company: Detained people are forced to purchase basic necessities from the company’s commissary, and the primary way to fund these purchases is by participating in the work program. They are responsible for tasks such as cooking and cleaning – tasks CoreCivic would otherwise have had to hire and pay outside employees to perform.</p> <p>CoreCivic houses people detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at SDC under a contract with Stewart County. Plaintiff Wilhen Hill Barrientos faced a difficult decision after arriving at the facility in 2015: The asylee from Guatemala could either work for nearly nothing or lose access to basic necessities, safety and privacy.</p> <p>He was told that if he refused to work, he would be placed in solitary confinement. He also would not have enough money to pay for food or costly phone calls to his family.</p> <p>Barrientos ultimately worked in the kitchen, cooking meals for up to 2,000 people each day. He regularly worked eight- to nine-hour shifts, and usually received $4 to $5 per day – approximately 50 cents per hour. Since SDC did not have paid kitchen staff other than supervisors, officers usually required Barrientos to work seven days a week, even when he was sick. After he filed a grievance for being forced to work while sick, he was put in medical segregation for over a month. </p> <p>In 2018, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia denied CoreCivic’s motion to dismiss the plaintiffs’ claims, and in 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit affirmed the district court’s decision that federal anti-trafficking laws apply to private ICE detention contractors. After extensive discovery, in June 2022, the plaintiffs moved to certify a class of over 32,000 workers who had participated in SDC’s work program since 2008. In March 2023, the district court denied the plaintiffs’ motion for class certification.</p> <p>In October 2023 as the case was set to go to trial, a settlement was reached on behalf of Barrientos and the two other named plaintiffs in the case, Keysler Ramón Urbina Rojas and Gonzalo Bermudez Gutiérrez. The settlement agreement contains confidential information about the monetary amounts received by the plaintiffs and is not a public document.</p> <p>As part of the agreement, CoreCivic will be required to notify all detained immigrants participating in the work program at Stewart of their rights, including their right to refuse to work. The document provided to detained workers, written in both Spanish and English, will state that they can’t be forced to work and have the right to prompt monetary compensation, relevant training, necessary safety equipment and respect from staff.</p> <p>The Ҵý represented the plaintiffs with co-counsel Project South, Perkins Coie LLP and Gwyn Newsom.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-publish-date field-type-date field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Date Filed</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><span class="date-display-single">April 17, 2018</span></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-status field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Status</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even ">Settled</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-issue-area field-type-entityreference field-label-above"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Issue Area</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><a href="/issues/immigrant-justice">Immigrant Justice</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-plaintiffs field-type-text-long field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Plaintiffs</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even ">Wilhen Hill Barrientos</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-defendants field-type-text-long field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Defendants</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even ">CoreCivic</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-counsel field-type-text-long field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Co-Counsel</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><p>Project South, Perkins Coie LLP and Gwyn Newsom</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-title-field field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><h1>Barrientos v. CoreCivic</h1> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="Barrientos v. CoreCivic - Southern Poverty Law Center" addthis:url="/seeking-justice/case-docket/barrientos-v-corecivic"><a href=" " class="addthis_button_facebook" aria-label="Facebook: Share this page"></a> <a href=" " class="addthis_button_twitter" aria-label="Twitter: Share this page"></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 16 Nov 2023 15:58:01 +0000 sam.alefsen@splcenter.org 17738 at Emma Koe, et al. v. Caylee Noggle, et al. /seeking-justice/case-docket/emma-koe-et-al-v-caylee-noggle-et-al <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><p>After Georgia passed a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender adolescents, the Southern Poverty Law Center and its partners filed a federal lawsuit to block the law from taking effect and seek a court order ruling that the law is unconstitutional.</p> <p>The law, also known as SB 140, strips parents of their rights to make critical decisions about their child’s health care. It also prohibits medical providers from treating gender dysphoria in adolescents with hormone therapy. The plaintiffs asked that the law be blocked to prevent the government from inserting itself into personal health care decisions that should be made by parents in consultation with doctors and based on the needs and best interest of their children.</p> <p>While several states, including Arkansas, Alabama, Indiana and Florida, have enacted similar bans that have been blocked by federal courts, Georgia’s law is unique in that it bans one aspect of treatment for gender dysphoria – hormone therapy – while allowing the provision of puberty blockers. However, the two treatments often go hand in hand when providing care for gender dysphoria. Puberty blockers are a short-term treatment that functions as a bridge to the next decision point for parents, youth and their doctors. Allowing transgender adolescents the use of puberty blockers while banning them from receiving hormonal care is constructing “a bridge to nowhere” for these youth, according to advocates for the plaintiffs.</p> <p>The situation creates an impossible choice for parents, who either must flee the state to ensure their child has access to medically necessary care or discontinue puberty blockers and watch their child suffer untreated gender dysphoria for years.</p> <p>The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-publish-date field-type-date field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Date Filed</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><span class="date-display-single">June 29, 2023</span></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-issue-area field-type-entityreference field-label-above"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Issue Area</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><a href="/issues/lgbtq-rights">LGBTQ Rights</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-documents field-type-file field-label-above"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Related Documents</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/koe-v-noggle-complaint.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=473514" title="koe-v-noggle-complaint.pdf">Complaint</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/koe-v-noggle-complaint-exhibit-1.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=102108" title="koe-v-noggle-complaint-exhibit-1.pdf">Complaint - Exhibit 1</a></span></div> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/koe-v-noggle-memorandum-support.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=370576" title="koe-v-noggle-memorandum-support.pdf">Memorandum in Support of Preliminary Injunction</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/koe-v-noggle-injunction-order.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=518946" title="koe-v-noggle-injunction-order.pdf">Order on Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction</a></span></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-counsel field-type-text-long field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Co-Counsel</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><p>The ACLU of Georgia, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and O’Melveny &amp; Myers LLP.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-active field-type-list-boolean field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even ">Active Case</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-title-field field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><h1>Emma Koe, et al. v. Caylee Noggle, et al.</h1> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-number field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Case Number</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even ">1:23-cv-02904-SEG</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="Emma Koe, et al. v. Caylee Noggle, et al. - Southern Poverty Law Center" addthis:url="/seeking-justice/case-docket/emma-koe-et-al-v-caylee-noggle-et-al"><a href=" " class="addthis_button_facebook" aria-label="Facebook: Share this page"></a> <a href=" " class="addthis_button_twitter" aria-label="Twitter: Share this page"></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 30 Jun 2023 15:18:30 +0000 rudy.isaza_2663 17562 at Crowell, et al., v. Cobb County Board of Elections & Registration, et al. /seeking-justice/case-docket/crowell-et-al-v-cobb-county-board-elections-registration-et-al <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><p>The Southern Poverty Law Center and its allies filed an emergency lawsuit to ensure that nearly 1,000 absentee voters in Cobb County, Georgia, have enough time to cast their votes in the 2022 midterm elections.</p> <p>The lawsuit, filed less than 48 hours before Election Day, seeks to send ballots overnight to each of the 1,000 who still need their absentee ballots. It also seeks to move the absentee ballot deadline from 7 p.m. on Nov. 8, Election Day, to Nov. 14, the same deadline for absentee voters in the military and overseas.</p> <p>Under state law, election officials must send absentee ballots within three days of receiving an application, but the Cobb County Board of Elections &amp; Registration failed to send requested ballots to all voters who requested them. State data shows that up to 250 of the affected absentee voters have voted in person, which still leaves about 750 voters in need of the absentee ballots they requested. The board claimed that they would send ballots overnight, but hundreds of voters who need an absentee ballot still have not received one.</p> <p>Through Cobb County’s “last call” absentee ballot return program, voters can submit ballots in person at seven libraries throughout the county the day before the election. They can also submit absentee ballots at Cobb County’s main elections office in Marietta on Election Day. Absentee voters who did not receive their ballots can also vote in person at their designated precinct on Election Day.</p> <p>Before the state’s sweeping anti-voter law passed after the 2020 election, voters could request an absentee ballot 180 days before an election and the county could mail out the ballots 49 days before an election. The law slashed those numbers by about half, to 78 and 29 days, respectively. These shortened windows have unnecessarily burdened elections officials and absentee voters.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-publish-date field-type-date field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Date Filed</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><span class="date-display-single">November 06, 2022</span></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-status field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Status</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even ">Closed</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-issue-area field-type-entityreference field-label-above"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Issue Area</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><a href="/our-issues/voting-rights">Voting Rights</a></div> <div class="field-item odd "><a href="/our-issues/voting-rights/voting-rights-ga">Voting Rights - GA</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-documents field-type-file field-label-above"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Related Documents</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/cobb-coubty-board-elections-complaint-11-06-2022.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=229592" title="cobb-coubty-board-elections-complaint-11-06-2022.pdf">Emergency Relief Request</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/cook-et-al-v-cobb-county-board-elections-consent-order-11-07-2022.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=419546" title="cook-et-al-v-cobb-county-board-elections-consent-order-11-07-2022.pdf">Consent Order</a></span></div> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/crowell-et-al-v-cobb-boe-temporary-restraining-order.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=4703969" title="crowell-et-al-v-cobb-boe-temporary-restraining-order.pdf">Plaintiffs’ Emergency Motion for Interlocutory Injunction and Temporary Restraining Order</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/crowell-et-al-v-cobb-boe-supplemental-complaint.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=4728231" title="crowell-et-al-v-cobb-boe-supplemental-complaint.pdf">Plaintiffs’ Motion for Leave to File Supplemental Complaint</a></span></div> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/crowell-v-cobb-county-elections-interlocutory-injuction-accepted.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=487855" title="crowell-v-cobb-county-elections-interlocutory-injuction-accepted.pdf">Interlocutory Injunction</a></span></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-counsel field-type-text-long field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Co-Counsel</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><p>The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, American Civil Liberties Union and Dechert LLP</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-title-field field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><h1>Crowell, et al., v. Cobb County Board of Elections &amp; Registration, et al.</h1> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-number field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Case Number</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even ">22107734</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="Crowell, et al., v. Cobb County Board of Elections &amp;amp; Registration, et al. - Southern Poverty Law Center" addthis:url="/seeking-justice/case-docket/crowell-et-al-v-cobb-county-board-elections-registration-et-al"><a href=" " class="addthis_button_facebook" aria-label="Facebook: Share this page"></a> <a href=" " class="addthis_button_twitter" aria-label="Twitter: Share this page"></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 07 Nov 2022 22:07:15 +0000 rudy.isaza_2663 17220 at Karen Finn, et al. v. Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration, et al. /seeking-justice/case-docket/karen-finn-et-al-v-cobb-county-board-elections-and-registration-et-al <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><p>The Cobb County Board of Education in Georgia and state legislators used racial demographic information to “pack” communities of color — particularly Black and Latinx voters — into three of seven school board voting districts to diminish their political power and preserve a white majority on the board.</p> <p>To protect the voting rights of Cobb County residents, the Southern Poverty Law Center and its co-counsel filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of</p> <p><a href="https://ngpaf.org/" target="_blank">New Georgia Project Action Fund</a>, <a href="https://www.lwv.org/local-leagues/lwv-marietta-cobb-co" target="_blank">The League of Women Voters of Marietta-Cobb</a>, the <a href="https://thepeoplesagenda.org/" target="_blank">Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda</a>, the <a href="https://galeo.org/" target="_blank">Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials </a>and individual Cobb County parents. The suit claims the racial gerrymandering of the district violates the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.</p> <p>Cobb County is the third most populous county in Georgia with just over 766,000 people and is one of the most rapidly diversifying counties in the state. In 2010, white people comprised 56% of the county’s population. But in 2020, their proportion of the population had dropped to 48%. Accompanying the demographic shift is a clear growth in the political strength of voters of color.</p> <p>In Georgia, county-level redistricting maps must be approved by the General Assembly through the legislative process. For these school board maps, state legislators bypassed local legislation rules, which would have required prior negotiation and approval by the legislative members representing Cobb, and instead moved the proposed school board map through the general legislation process. This allowed legislators to bring the bills before committees with white, conservative majorities and onto the floor of both chambers, controlled by the conservative majority. </p> <p>The process resulted in a racially gerrymandered map that preserved four majority-white districts, leaving large majorities of voters of color in the remaining three districts, thereby limiting their ability to influence school board elections in other districts.</p> <p>The complaint alleges that the maps violate the 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law, by using race to segregate and cabin Black and Latinx voters into the three south Cobb districts, despite the trending and rapid growth of these communities.</p> <p><em><a href="/finn-v-cobb-county-board-elections-questions-and-answers">This FAQ</a> explains the current status and next steps in the litigation.</em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-publish-date field-type-date field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Date Filed</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><span class="date-display-single">June 09, 2022</span></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-issue-area field-type-entityreference field-label-above"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Issue Area</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><a href="/our-issues/voting-rights">Voting Rights</a></div> <div class="field-item odd "><a href="/our-issues/voting-rights/voting-rights-ga">Voting Rights - GA</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-documents field-type-file field-label-above"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Related Documents</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/complaint-karen-finn-v-cobb-county-board-elections-registration.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=877553" title="complaint-karen-finn-v-cobb-county-board-elections-registration.pdf">Complaint</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/finn-cobb-county_amended-complaint.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=823590" title="finn-cobb-county_amended-complaint.pdf">Amended Complaint</a></span></div> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/finn-v-cobb-county-defendants-motion-dismiss.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=292212" title="finn-v-cobb-county-defendants-motion-dismiss.pdf">Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/finn-v-cobb-county-plaintiffs-response-motion-dismiss.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=322385" title="finn-v-cobb-county-plaintiffs-response-motion-dismiss.pdf">Response to Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss</a></span></div> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/finn-v-cobb-county-motion-for-judgment.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=123398" title="finn-v-cobb-county-motion-for-judgment.pdf">Defendants’ Motion for Judgment </a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/finn-v-cobb-county-plaintiffs-opposition-motion-judgment.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=403347" title="finn-v-cobb-county-plaintiffs-opposition-motion-judgment.pdf">Plaintiffs’ Opposition to Motion for Judgment</a></span></div> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/finn-v-cobb-county-order-motion-dismiss.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=547209" title="finn-v-cobb-county-order-motion-dismiss.pdf">Order on Motion to Dismiss and Motion for Judgment</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/finn-v-cobb-county-board-elections-settlement-agreement.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=280428" title="finn-v-cobb-county-board-elections-settlement-agreement.pdf">Stipulated Settlement Agreement</a></span></div> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/order-finn-v-cobb-county-board-elections.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=815652" title="order-finn-v-cobb-county-board-elections.pdf">Motion for Preliminary Injunction</a></span></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-counsel field-type-text-long field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Co-Counsel</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><p>Southern Coalition for Social Justice, ACLU of Georgia, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Schulte, Roth &amp; Zabel LLP</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-active field-type-list-boolean field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even ">Active Case</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-title-field field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><h1>Karen Finn, et al. v. Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration, et al.</h1> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-number field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Case Number</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even ">22-cv-2300-ELR</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="Karen Finn, et al. v. Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration, et al. - Southern Poverty Law Center" addthis:url="/seeking-justice/case-docket/karen-finn-et-al-v-cobb-county-board-elections-and-registration-et-al"><a href=" " class="addthis_button_facebook" aria-label="Facebook: Share this page"></a> <a href=" " class="addthis_button_twitter" aria-label="Twitter: Share this page"></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 13 Jun 2022 21:10:14 +0000 rudy.isaza_2663 17020 at Von King, et al. v. State of Georgia, et al. /seeking-justice/case-docket/von-king-et-al-v-state-georgia-et-al <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><p><em>Did you experience extreme delays in the processing of your unemployment claim during the COVID-19 pandemic by the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL)? If so, the settlement reached in this lawsuit might affect you. <a href="/settlement-georgia-department-labor-unemployment-insurance">This notice explains your rights</a> and the outcome of the lawsuit.</em></p> <p>Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployed Georgians experienced extreme delays in the processing of their unemployment claims by the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL). The Ҵý and its co-counsel, Bondurant, Mixson &amp; Elmore LLP, filed a class action lawsuit in Fulton County that describes how the GDOL’s delays violate state and federal law.</p> <p>The pandemic led to devastating levels of unemployment in Georgia. At its peak, unemployment in Georgia rose to 12.6%. Congress allocated $67 million to Georgia to assist the GDOL with three temporary unemployment insurance benefits created under the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act. Yet Georgians still waited months for their claims to be processed while also experiencing excessive delays in receiving payments or having their appeals heard when their claims are rejected, according to the lawsuit. </p> <p>The GDOL’s system failed at every level. As a result, the lawsuit seeks relief for three separate classes of individuals who have experienced extreme delays in:</p> <ul> <li>receiving initial determinations regarding benefits; </li> <li>appeals</li> <li>and the actual payment benefits.   </li> </ul> <p>This lawsuit is brought by four plaintiffs who have experienced delays and have claims that are representative and typical of the class claims. For example, plaintiff Von King, at the time of the lawsuit’s filing, had been waiting almost a year to have her appeal heard.</p> <p>All the other plaintiffs and class members have experienced months of uncertainty while trying to pay rent and utilities, feed themselves and their families, and pay regular expenses, such as medical bills and car payments. <br />  <br /> The plaintiffs ask for a declaration that the GDOL’s delays violate Georgia’s statutory requirement that it act “promptly”; for an injunction to compel the GDOL to comply with that state law and to enforce the plaintiffs’ federal due process rights; and for monetary damages.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-publish-date field-type-date field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Date Filed</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><span class="date-display-single">June 22, 2021</span></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-status field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Status</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even ">Active</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-issue-area field-type-entityreference field-label-above"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Issue Area</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><a href="/our-issues/economic-justice">Economic Justice</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-documents field-type-file field-label-above"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Related Documents</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/kingvgeorgia.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=227174" title="kingvgeorgia.pdf">Complaint</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/king-v-georgia-final-settlement-agreement.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=3374118" title="king-v-georgia-final-settlement-agreement.pdf">Final Settlement Agreement</a></span></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-counsel field-type-text-long field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Co-Counsel</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><p>Bondurant, Mixson &amp; Elmore LLP</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-title-field field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><h1>Von King, et al. v. State of Georgia, et al.</h1> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="Von King, et al. v. State of Georgia, et al. - Southern Poverty Law Center" addthis:url="/seeking-justice/case-docket/von-king-et-al-v-state-georgia-et-al"><a href=" " class="addthis_button_facebook" aria-label="Facebook: Share this page"></a> <a href=" " class="addthis_button_twitter" aria-label="Twitter: Share this page"></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> Tue, 07 Sep 2021 22:22:06 +0000 catherine.valentine_1700 16632 at Sixth District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church v. Kemp /seeking-justice/case-docket/sixth-district-african-methodist-episcopal-church-v-kemp <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><p>After Georgia voters turned out in record numbers for the 2020 presidential election and U.S. Senate elections in early 2021, state legislators passed a sweeping – and unconstitutional – voting law that threatened to massively disenfranchise voters, particularly voters of color. The Ҵý and its allies filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Georgia and Gov. Brian Kemp. </p> <p>The lawsuit challenges multiple provisions of the law, also known as SB 202, including the following items. </p> <ul> <li>A ban on “line warming,” where volunteers provide water and snacks to people waiting in long lines to vote, a common occurrence at precincts with a large population of voters of color. </li> <li>A severe restriction on the use of mobile voting units, which have been used to address a shortage of accessible and secure polling locations that previously resulted in long lines of voters at existing and traditional polling locations.  </li> <li>Additional and onerous identification requirements for requesting and casting an absentee ballot. </li> <li>A compressed period for requesting absentee ballots. </li> <li>Restrictions on the use of secure ballot drop boxes. </li> <li>Disqualification of provisional ballots cast in a voter’s county of residence but outside the voter’s precinct before 5 p.m. Previously, votes for all the races to which the person was eligible to vote on that precinct’s provisional ballot were counted. </li> <li>A drastic reduction of early voting in runoff elections. </li> </ul> <p>The law was debated and passed by both houses of the Georgia Legislature and signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, all in under seven hours. The legislation was passed despite state officials praising the recent elections for their integrity, safety and security. </p> <p>The lawsuit describes how the law violates voter protections under the 14th and 15th Amendments as well as Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. It also outlines how the “line warming” ban violates the First Amendment right to freedom of expression. </p> <p>The plaintiffs represented in the case include organizations whose get-out-the-vote activities will be negatively impacted by SB 202 and people most directly affected, such as Black voters, new citizens, religious communities and people with limited English proficiency. The plaintiffs include: the <a href="https://www.ame6.church/" target="_blank">Sixth District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church</a>, <a href="https://www.deltasigmatheta.org/" target="_blank">Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.</a>, <a href="https://www.gamvp.org/" target="_blank">Georgia Muslim Voter Project</a>, <a href="https://womenwatchafrika.org/" target="_blank">Women Watch Afrika</a>, <a href="https://lcfgeorgia.org/" target="_blank">Latino Community Fund Georgia</a>, The Arc of the United States, Georgia ADAPT, Georgia Advocacy Office and Southern Christian Leadership Conference.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-publish-date field-type-date field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Date Filed</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><span class="date-display-single">March 29, 2021</span></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-status field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Status</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even ">Active</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-issue-area field-type-entityreference field-label-above"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Issue Area</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><a href="/our-issues/voting-rights">Voting Rights</a></div> <div class="field-item odd "><a href="/our-issues/voting-rights/voting-rights-ga">Voting Rights - GA</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-documents field-type-file field-label-above"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Related Documents</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/georgia_voting_complaint.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=945937" title="georgia_voting_complaint.pdf">Complaint</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/motion_to_intervene_with_brief_in_support_by_rnc.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=450922" title="motion_to_intervene_with_brief_in_support_by_rnc.pdf">Motion to Intervene</a></span></div> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/plaintiffs_opposition_to_motion_to_intervene.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=175676" title="plaintiffs_opposition_to_motion_to_intervene.pdf">Plaintiffs’ Opposition to Motion to Intervene </a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/reply_in_support_of_motion_to_intevene_by_proposed_intervenor-defendants.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=79844" title="reply_in_support_of_motion_to_intevene_by_proposed_intervenor-defendants.pdf">Reply in Support of Motion to Intervene</a></span></div> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/state_defendents_motion_to_dismiss.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=838634" title="state_defendents_motion_to_dismiss.pdf">State Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/083_ame_et_al_fac.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=840869" title="083_ame_et_al_fac.pdf">Amended Complaint</a></span></div> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/state_defendants_reply_to_plaintiffs_response_to_motion_to_dismiss.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=626382" title="state_defendants_reply_to_plaintiffs_response_to_motion_to_dismiss.pdf"> State Defendants’ Reply to Plaintiffs’ Motion to Dismiss</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/plaintiffs_response_in_opposition_to_state_defendants_motion_to_dismiss_doc._87.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=785240" title="plaintiffs_response_in_opposition_to_state_defendants_motion_to_dismiss_doc._87.pdf">Plaintiffs’ Response in Opposition to State Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss</a></span></div> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/plaintiffs_response_in_opposition_to_county_defendants_motion_to_dismiss_90.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=596021" title="plaintiffs_response_in_opposition_to_county_defendants_motion_to_dismiss_90.pdf">Plaintiffs’ Response in Opposition to County Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/motion_to_dismiss_by_state_defendants.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=1331670" title="motion_to_dismiss_by_state_defendants.pdf">Motion to Dismiss by State Defendants</a></span></div> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/motion_to_dimiss_by_ga_republican_party_intervenors.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=324689" title="motion_to_dimiss_by_ga_republican_party_intervenors.pdf">Motion to Dismiss by Georgia Republican Party Intervenors </a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/county_defendants_motion_to_dismiss_plaintiffs_first_amended_complaint.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=569750" title="county_defendants_motion_to_dismiss_plaintiffs_first_amended_complaint.pdf">County Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs’ First Amended Complaint</a></span></div> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/order_on_motion_to_dismiss_0.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=389881" title="order_on_motion_to_dismiss.pdf">Order on Motion to Dismiss</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/ame_v._kemp_mpi_brief.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=344940" title="ame_v._kemp_mpi_brief.pdf">Preliminary Injunction</a></span></div> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/ame-kemp_preliminary-injunction-dismissal.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=508115" title="ame-kemp_preliminary-injunction-dismissal.pdf">Dismissal of Preliminary Injunction</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/ame-plaintiffs-brief-accessible-voting.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=473200" title="ame-plaintiffs-brief-accessible-voting.pdf">Plaintiffs’ Brief in Support of Motion for Preliminary Injunction</a></span></div> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/ame-church-georgia-renewed-motion-preliminary-injunction.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=6332208" title="ame-church-georgia-renewed-motion-preliminary-injunction.pdf">Plaintiffs’ Renewed Motion for Preliminary Injunction (Line Relief)</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/ame-plaintiffs-motion-preliminary-injunction.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=89242911" title="ame-plaintiffs-motion-preliminary-injunction.pdf">AME Church Plaintiffs&#039; Motion for Preliminary Injunction</a></span></div> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/georgia-naacp-plaintiffs-motion-preliminary-injunction.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=7806181" title="georgia-naacp-plaintiffs-motion-preliminary-injunction.pdf">Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction of Immaterial Voting Requirements</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/ngp-plaintiffs-motion-preliminary-injunction.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=1877990" title="ngp-plaintiffs-motion-preliminary-injunction.pdf">New Georgia Project Plaintiffs&#039; Renewed Motion for Preliminary Injunction</a></span></div> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/plaintiffs-joint-motion-preliminary-injunction.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=273338" title="plaintiffs-joint-motion-preliminary-injunction.pdf">Plaintiffs&#039; Joint Motion for Preliminary Injunction</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/plaintiffs-motion-preliminary-injunction.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=472629" title="plaintiffs-motion-preliminary-injunction.pdf">Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction for Intentional Discrimination of Black Voters (Early Voting in Runoffs)</a></span></div> <div class="field-item even "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/ame-v-kemp-line-relief-preliminary-injunction-order.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=357794" title="ame-v-kemp-line-relief-preliminary-injunction-order.pdf">Order on Renewed Motion for Preliminary Injunction (Line Relief)</a></span></div> <div class="field-item odd "><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="PDF icon" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="/sites/default/files/documents/ame-v-kemp-materiality-provision-preliminary-injunction-order.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=570358" title="ame-v-kemp-materiality-provision-preliminary-injunction-order.pdf">Order on Preliminary Injunction of Immaterial Voting Requirements</a></span></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-counsel field-type-text-long field-label-inline clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><h2>Co-Counsel</h2></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><p>American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Georgia, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc. and the law firms of Davis Wright Tremaine and WilmerHale </p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-case-active field-type-list-boolean field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even ">Active Case</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-title-field field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><h1>Sixth District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church v. Kemp </h1> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even "><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="Sixth District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church v. Kemp - Southern Poverty Law Center" addthis:url="/seeking-justice/case-docket/sixth-district-african-methodist-episcopal-church-v-kemp"><a href=" " class="addthis_button_facebook" aria-label="Facebook: Share this page"></a> <a href=" " class="addthis_button_twitter" aria-label="Twitter: Share this page"></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 01 Apr 2021 16:06:18 +0000 catherine.valentine_1700 16351 at