New Jersey: Public can Sue Police, agencies under bias law
Thursday, July 22, 2004 at 02:08PM
TheSpook
Police departments and other government agencies may be
sued under New Jersey's tough anti-discrimination law, a state appeals
court ruled unanimously yesterday. The decision provides another avenue
for plaintiffs to sue government officials and agencies for
discrimination based on race, religion, gender and sexual orientation.
Federal law already allows for discrimination claims to be brought in
state and federal court in instances in which a person's civil rights
are deprived by government officials or agencies. The ruling arises
from a case involving Pius Ehiri, and his wife, Patricia Uwanene, of
Woodbridge. When police responded to a domestic disturbance at their
home, the couple say, Ehiri was assaulted by police, who called him
"nigger" and an "African monkey." He was convicted of resisting arrest.
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