HNLEA v. Prince George's County
- Filed: 12/12/2018
- Status: Victory!
- Court: U.S. District Court of Maryland
- Latest Update: Dec 12, 2018
After years of being forced to endure a work environment pervaded by race discrimination and retaliation that also contaminate relationships between police and the community, 13 Officers of Color with the Prince George’s Police Department, along with the Hispanic National Law Enforcement Association and the United Black Police Officers Association, filed suit in federal court in Greenbelt challenging PGPD’s pattern and practice of unconstitutional conduct.
Their lawsuit, filed with the support of the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, and Arnold & Porter, asks the court to find these PGPD policies and practices unlawful, to mandate comprehensive reforms, and to provide justice to the officers and community members who have experienced this egregious mistreatment.
The plaintiffs are represented by John Freedman, Adam Pergament, Preston Smith, Mei-Wah Lee, Danait Mengist and Kaitlin Robinson from Arnold & Porter; Jonathan Smith, Dennis Corkery, and Joanna Wasik from the Washington Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs, and Deborah Jeon and Ieshaah Murphy from the ACLU of Maryland. Counsel received pro bono expert assistance and services from a team from BDO LLP led by Anthony Lendez, Marc Simon, Thomas Terranova, Joe Sremack, and Aron Finkelstein.
The MeToo Era: Sonya Zollicoffer’s Story
In the era of MeToo, brave people continue to speak out against sexual violence. Sonya Zollicoffer has joined voices across the nation by exposing the truth about the sexual harassment she endured while she was a police trainee in Prince George’s Police Department in 2001. Zollicoffer has also filed a legal challenge, along with members of the United Black Police Officers Association and the Hispanic National Law Enforcement Association, to racial discrimination and retaliation against officers and community members of color in the PGPD.
Related News & Podcasts
The MeToo Era: Sonya Zollicoffer’s Story
Stay Informed
Sign up to be the first to hear about how to take action.
By completing this form, I agree to receive occasional emails per the terms of the ACLU’s privacy statement.
By completing this form, I agree to receive occasional emails per the terms of the ACLU’s privacy statement.