School officials couldn’t read student’s text messages 
Published: April 2, 2013
Tags: cellphone, civil rights, Fourth Amendment, search and seizure
Public school officials needed reasonable suspicion in order to read text messages on a cellphone confiscated from a student, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in reversing summary judgment in a civil rights case.
Gov’t can be sued for sexual assault by prison guards
Published: March 27, 2013
Tags: civil rights, Federal Tort Claims Act, FTCA, sexual assault, U.S. Supreme Court
The federal government is not immune from tort liability for the alleged sexual assault of a prison inmate by correctional officers, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in a unanimous decision.
High court to consider affirmative action case
Published: March 25, 2013
Tags: affirmative action, civil rights, equal protection, fourteenth amendment, U.S. Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether a state violated equal protection when it amended its constitution to prohibit race- and sex-based discrimination or preferential treatment in public university admissions.
Officer couldn’t read letter found in search of car
Published: March 11, 2013
Tags: civil rights, Fourth Amendment, qualified immunity, search and seizure, §1983
A police officer violated the Fourth Amendment when he read a letter discovered during the consent search of a motor vehicle, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled.
Officer may be liable for excessive use of Taser
Published: February 6, 2013
Tags: civil rights, Excessive Force, Fourth Amendment, qualified immunity, Taser, §1983
A police officer may be liable for repeatedly shooting a domestic violence suspect with a taser after it appeared that he had stopped resisting arrest, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in reversing a grant of qualified immunity.
Repeated Taser use may have been excessive
Published: February 1, 2013
Tags: civil rights, Excessive Force, Taser, §1983
Police may have violated a woman’s civil rights when they shot her twice with a Taser for allegedly interfering with the arrest of her son, the 7th Circuit has ruled in reversing judgment.
Chicago settles case of mentally ill detainee for $22.5M
By:
Kimberly Atkins
Published: January 30, 2013
Tags: ADA, civil rights, police misconduct, Verdicts and Settlements, §1983
In a landmark settlement, the City of Chicago has agreed to pay $22.5 million to the family of a woman who was severely injured after police arrested her, and then failing to recognize her mental illness, released her into an unfamiliar and dangerous neighborhood.
Supreme Court asked to ‘transform’ class actions in Disney case
Published: January 23, 2013
Tags: ADA, AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, civil rights, class actions, disability rights, Disability Rights Advocates for Technology, Inc. v. Dukes, Segway, U.S. Supreme Court, Wal- Mart Stores, Walt Disney World
A disability rights organization has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a class action settlement that bars Segway vehicles from Walt Disney theme parks and hotels.
Med school may have violated deaf student’s rights
Published: January 18, 2013
Tags: ADA, AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, civil rights, disability discrimination
A medical school may have violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by refusing to provide a deaf student with auxiliary aids to assist him in overcoming his hearing impairment, the 8th Circuit has ruled in reversing a summary judgment.
ADA doesn’t preempt award of grocer’s attorney fees
Published: December 20, 2012
Tags: ADA, AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, attorney fees, civil rights, disability discrimination, preemption
The Americans with Disabilities Act does not preempt a state law mandating an award of attorney fees to a storeowner who prevailed in a disability access action, the California Supreme Court has ruled in affirming an $118,000 award.
