municipal liability News

New York City to Pay $17.5M, End Ban on Religious Head Coverings in Mug Shots

New York City has agreed to pay $17.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by two Muslim women who were forced to remove their head coverings to be photographed after they were arrested. The class-action lawsuit was filed in 2018 …

Mayor Says New York City Will ‘Iron Out Kinks’ in Errant Chatbot

An artificial intelligence-powered chatbot created by New York City to help small business owners is under criticism for dispensing bizarre advice that misstates local policies and advises companies to violate the law. But days after the issues were first reported …

City Reaches Settlement in Lawsuit Over Death of Opioid-Addicted Woman

Relatives of a Vermont woman whose obituary drew national attention for its candid and heart-breaking discussion of her opioid addiction have reached a settlement with some of the parties who were sued for allegedly failing to provide adequate medical care. …

Jury Awards $72.5M to Woman Paralyzed When Struck by New York City Bus

A Florida woman who says she was struck and dragged by a New York City bus and left partially paralyzed has been awarded $72.5 million in her lawsuit against the city’s transit agency. A city jury found in favor of …

New Jersey School District Settles Sex Abuse Lawsuit Involving Teacher for $6 Million

A southern New Jersey school district will pay $6 million to settle a lawsuit brought by two students who claim they were sexually assaulted for years by a former high school teacher. The male students had filed separate lawsuits weeks …

Judge Rejects Virginia School System’s Request to Toss Student’s Sex Assault Lawsuit

A federal judge has rejected a request by Virginia’s largest school system to toss out a lawsuit accusing it of indifference to a middle school student’s claims of sexual abuse and harassment. The Fairfax County School Board filed a motion …

Kennedy Cousin Whose Murder Conviction Was Overturned Sues Cop, Connecticut Town

Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel, whose murder conviction in the 1970s killing of a teenager in Connecticut was overturned, is suing the lead police investigator in the case and the town of Greenwich for alleged malicious prosecution, civil rights violations and …

Man Sues New York City After 27 Years in Prison Before Being Cleared in Killing

A man who was recently cleared in the gruesome, fiery 1995 killing of a subway token booth clerk sued New York City and two detectives on Monday, saying that “a wanton and reckless” law enforcement culture subjected him to decades …

Justice Department Investigating Lexington, Mississippi Police Practices

The Justice Department has opened a civil pattern or practice investigation into the city of Lexington, Mississippi, and the Lexington Police Department (LPD) seeking to determine whether there are systemic violations of the Constitution and federal law. DOJ said the …

Insurer Argues Baltimore Not Covered for Employee’s Sexual Abuse of Minors

Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Co. is asking a federal court to declare that it does not have to indemnify Baltimore officials who have been targeted in a class action that was filed after a former city security guard took photos of …