FBI agents searched the home of a couple in the Conway area of Horry County, South Carolina, who are accused of burning a cross in their yard. The investigation is focused on allegations of racial discrimination and harassment. The couple has been charged with second-degree harassment, and the NAACP has launched its own investigation into the incident. The FBI is working with local and state partners to thoroughly examine the matter and ensure equality and fairness within the community. South Carolina, one of two states without a hate crime law, is being urged to pass legislation in response to the incident.
Maize USD 266, a school district in Kansas, has released a statement regarding an ongoing civil rights investigation by the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. The district has not yet received a copy of the complaint but confirms it was filed in August 2023, referencing an unspecified allegation from March 2023. Maize USD 266 is committed to cooperating fully with the investigation and prioritizes respect, inclusivity, and the safety of all students and employees.
A grandmother is suing the Baton Rouge Police Department (BRPD) after allegedly being "sexually humiliated" inside a "torture warehouse" following a traffic stop. The department is facing multiple lawsuits and a civil rights investigation into the facility, known as the "Brave Cave." Four officers are facing criminal charges related to the investigation. The grandmother claims she was subjected to unnecessary strip and body cavity searches, while another plaintiff alleges he was beaten severely. The facility has been permanently closed, and the department's Street Crimes Unit has been disbanded. The FBI is conducting an independent review of the complaints.
Four officers, including a deputy chief, from the scandal-plagued Baton Rouge Police Department have been arrested and charged with attempting to cover up excessive force during a strip search. The officers were part of a disbanded street crimes unit that ran an obscure warehouse known as the "brave cave," where detainees were allegedly assaulted. The department is under FBI scrutiny, and numerous lawsuits have been filed alleging abuse by the unit. The arrests could jeopardize hundreds of criminal cases, and the district attorney will review each case individually to determine the officers' involvement and if they are necessary for prosecution.
The FBI has initiated a civil rights investigation into allegations of abuse at the Baton Rouge Police Department's warehouse known as the "Brave Cave." Lawsuits claim that drug suspects were assaulted, strip-searched, and sexually humiliated by officers. The city's mayor has ordered the facility closed, the police department has disbanded its street crimes unit, and an officer involved in the allegations has resigned and been arrested. This adds to a series of corruption and misconduct allegations against the Baton Rouge Police Department, which faced scrutiny after the 2016 fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling. The police chief has requested the FBI's review and promised a thorough investigation. Additional lawsuits are expected to be filed as more people come forward with allegations of abuse.
The FBI has initiated a civil rights investigation into allegations of police abuse at an obscure warehouse in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, known as the "Brave Cave." Multiple lawsuits have been filed, with victims claiming they were assaulted and subjected to strip searches by police officers. The city's mayor has ordered the closure of the facility, and the police department has disbanded its street crimes unit. The son of a deputy chief, who was at the center of the allegations, has resigned and been arrested. This scandal adds to a series of corruption and misconduct allegations against the Baton Rouge police department, which has faced scrutiny since the fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling in 2016. The FBI's investigation comes after the police chief requested a review of the allegations. Additional lawsuits are expected to be filed as more victims come forward.
The Justice Department has launched a civil rights investigation into allegations of abuse and torture by the Baton Rouge Police Department's Street Crimes Unit at a narcotics processing center known as the "Brave Cave." Multiple lawsuits claim that suspects were mistreated at the facility, including an unlawful strip-search of a grandmother. The police department has requested an independent review and has disbanded the Street Crimes Unit. The investigation is being conducted by the FBI, the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Louisiana.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for violating civil rights after releasing the medical records of transgender patients to Tennessee's attorney general. The investigation follows lawsuits filed by two patients who claim VUMC should have removed personally identifying information before sharing the records. The incident has raised concerns in a state where GOP lawmakers have sought to restrict transgender rights. The attorney general maintains that he requested the records as part of a routine investigation into medical billing fraud and denies targeting patients or their families.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for releasing the medical records of transgender patients to Tennessee's attorney general. The investigation follows lawsuits filed by two patients who claim VUMC should have removed personally identifying information before sharing the records. The incident has raised concerns in a state where GOP lawmakers have sought to restrict transgender rights. VUMC faced criticism for waiting months before notifying patients about the release of their information. The attorney general maintains that he requested the records as part of a routine investigation into medical billing fraud and denies targeting patients or their families.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for releasing the medical records of transgender patients to Tennessee's attorney general. Two patients have sued VUMC for sharing their records, arguing that the hospital should have removed personally identifying information. The disclosure of the records has raised concerns in a state where GOP lawmakers have sought to restrict transgender rights. VUMC has faced criticism for waiting months before notifying patients about the release of their information. The attorney general claims the records were requested as part of a routine investigation into medical billing fraud and denies targeting patients or their families.
The U.S. Justice Department has launched a civil rights investigation into the Memphis Police Department, focusing on allegations of excessive force and unlawful stops of Black residents. The investigation comes in the wake of the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, by Memphis police officers in January. The probe aims to determine if there is a pattern or practice of civil rights violations within the department. The investigation is separate from the ongoing criminal investigation into Nichols's death, for which five police officers have been charged with second-degree murder.
The Department of Justice has launched a civil rights investigation into the city of Memphis and its police department following the death of Tyre Nichols after a traffic stop in January. The probe aims to determine if there are systemic violations of the Constitution or federal law by the police department. This investigation is separate from the federal criminal civil rights investigation of the Memphis officers involved in Nichols' case. Attorney General Merrick Garland and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta expressed their commitment to ensuring a safe community and building trust in law enforcement. Nichols was assaulted by five Memphis Police Department officers during a traffic stop and died three days later.
Deputies from the Rankin County Sheriff's Department in Mississippi have been fired after being accused of sexually assaulting two Black men and shooting one of them in the mouth during a raid on their home. The incident, which occurred in January, prompted a federal civil rights investigation. The announcement of the deputies' termination comes after an Associated Press investigation revealed their involvement in several violent encounters with Black men since 2019. The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into the sheriff's department, and the victims have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit seeking $400 million in damages.
All five Mississippi deputy sheriffs who responded to an incident where two Black men accused the deputies of beating and sexually assaulting them before shooting one of them in the mouth have been fired or resigned. The Rankin County Sheriff's Office had been under investigation by the Justice Department for civil rights violations. The firing of the deputies follows an Associated Press investigation that found several deputies involved in the incident were also linked to other violent encounters with Black men. The victims have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit seeking $400 million in damages.
Body camera footage shows police officers shooting and killing 17-year-old Dalaneo Martin seconds after he awoke in a stolen car in Washington, D.C. on March 18. Martin drove away with a Park Police officer still in the backseat before being shot multiple times and crashing into a house. A federal civil rights investigation has been opened into the incident, and Martin's family is calling for the officers involved to be identified and charged with murder. Police found a gun inside the vehicle after the crash.
