Federal Judge Allows Lawsuit Against Department of Veterans Affairs for Racial Discrimination in Benefits to Proceed

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal district court judge has ruled that a lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) alleging racial discrimination in disability benefits can proceed. The suit claims that the VA systematically rejected applications for benefits from Black veterans at a higher rate than their white counterparts, a practice that has allegedly persisted since World War II. The case was brought by Vietnam veteran Conley Monk Jr. of Connecticut on behalf of himself and his late father, a World War II veteran. The lawsuit asserts that the VA engaged in “systematic benefits … Read more

Gym Member Files Lawsuit Against 24 Hour Fitness, Revealing Racial Profiling and Discrimination

Gresham, Oregon – A Black member of the 24 Hour Fitness gym in Gresham has filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging repeated racial profiling and discrimination by a staff member. The lawsuit, filed on March 4 in Multnomah County Circuit Court, accuses Gratian Russell, a staff member at the gym, of racially profiling Rishon Hall and ejecting him from the premises on multiple occasions. The lawsuit also includes evidence from Russell’s public Facebook page, which the plaintiff’s attorney describes as racially insensitive. According to the lawsuit, the first incident occurred on February 13 when … Read more

Former UC Santa Cruz Police Officer Awarded $7 Million in Lawsuit Alleging Racial Discrimination

SAN JOSE, California – A former University of California police officer has been awarded over $7 million in damages after a jury found that he was unjustly terminated due to his race. Glenn Harper, a former lieutenant in the UC Santa Cruz Police Department, filed a lawsuit against the UC Regents in 2019, alleging that his termination in 2017 was racially motivated. The jury reached a unanimous verdict in favor of Harper after three hours of deliberation. According to the lawsuit, Harper’s firing stemmed from an internal dispute over a firearms investigation. Despite having 27 … Read more

California Appellate Court Orders Rehearing for Black Man Alleging Racial Bias in 2022 Traffic Stop

SAN DIEGO — A Black man in California is getting another opportunity to prove that his traffic stop and subsequent arrest by San Diego police in 2022 was influenced by unconscious racial bias. The state appellate court is testing California’s Racial Justice Act and has ordered a rehearing of the case, considering the idea of implicit bias. The court found that the initial judge failed to address significant evidence suggesting that the traffic stop may have been a result of unintended racial bias. The ruling, which was published last week, stems from one of the … Read more