Texas Civil Rights Group Sued for Defamation

In 2008, members of the Texas civil rights group Black Citizens for Justice, Law and Order brought neighborhood concerns of racist policies to a public meeting. A member of the group took minutes at the meeting, including allegations of racist police acts and derogatory statements made about a local city council member, and forwarded the minutes to the Congress member for the district.

The Congress member’s staff forwarded the minutes to the mayor of the town, who sent them to the city council member. The city council member sued, and both the civil rights group and the minute-taker were held liable for defamation, and each ordered to pay $300,000 in damages. The case, Clark v. Jenkins, 102 F.3d 1012 (2008) is now on petition for writ of certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court.

See Clark v. Jenkins, 102 F.3d 1012 (2008).