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Civil Rights

Longtime Westchester Resident Announces Run To Become County's First Black District Attorney Longtime Westchester Resident Announces Run To Become County's First Black District Attorney
Longtime Westchester Resident Announces Run To Become County's First Black District Attorney A Westchester native with years of experience in civil rights cases has announced his candidacy to become the county's first Black district attorney.  Mount Vernon native and attorney William O. Wagstaff III announced his candidacy for the Westchester County District Attorney's office on Monday, Nov. 20.  Wagstaff's candidacy announcement comes nearly a month after the county's current District Attorney, Miriam Rocah, announced she would not be seeking re-election in 2024.  Earlier Report - Westchester DA Rocah Won't Seek Re-Election: 'I Do Not Fit Mold Of Career Polit…
Sergeant Indicted After Tasing Handcuffed Victim 7 Times in 2 Minutes In Westchester: Feds Sergeant Indicted After Tasing Handcuffed Victim 7 Times in 2 Minutes In Westchester: Feds
Sergeant Indicted After Tasing Handcuffed Victim 7 Times in 2 Minutes In Westchester: Feds A Westchester Sergeant faces federal charges after tasing a handcuffed victim seven times in the span of two minutes and violating their rights in the process, officials said.  Brooklyn resident Mario Stewart, age 44, a Sergeant with the Mount Vernon Police Department, has been indicted on federal charges after allegedly using excessive force against a handcuffed individual in a March 2019 incident, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Thursday, July 20.  According to federal officials, at the time of the incident, Stewart had been …
Fire Department Discriminated Against Female Member In Westchester, Must Pay Her $425K: Feds Fire Department Discriminated Against Female Member In Westchester, Must Pay Her $425K: Feds
Fire Department Discriminated Against Female Member In Westchester, Must Pay Her $425K: Feds As the result of a settled federal civil rights lawsuit, a town and fire department in Westchester have been ordered to pay a former female member one of the largest-ever payments by a municipality in an employment discrimination case brought on behalf of a single person, officials said.  The payment is a result of a settled federal civil rights lawsuit that alleged the town of Harrison and the Harrison Fire Department discriminated against a former female firefighter, Angela Bommarito, based on her sex and failed to take disciplinary action against a male firefighter who even…
NY Man's Stun Gun, Fire Death Prompts $20M Lawsuit Against Police: Report NY Man's Stun Gun, Fire Death Prompts $20M Lawsuit Against Police: Report
NY Man's Stun Gun, Fire Death Prompts $20M Lawsuit Against Police: Report A police department in New York is facing a federal lawsuit in connection with the death of a man who was hit with a TASER device and caught fire in the department’s lobby, WRGB reports. Greene County resident Jason Jones, of Catskill, voluntarily went to the Catskill Police Department on Oct. 30, 2021, and began arguing with officers, according to police. Surveillance footage later released by the New York Attorney General’s Office shows him removing his shirt and shoes before pouring hand sanitizer all over his body, including his hair and face. Moments later, an officer is seen deploy…
Correction Officer From Westchester County Charged With Assaulting Inmate, Falsifying Records Correction Officer From Westchester County Charged With Assaulting Inmate, Falsifying Records
Correction Officer From Westchester County Charged With Assaulting Inmate, Falsifying Records A correction officer from Northern Westchester is charged with assaulting an inmate of the Dutchess County prison he once worked at and falsifying the records of the incident.  The assault happened on May 28, 2020, when 32-year-old Cortlandt Manor resident Taj Everly assaulted an inmate at Green Haven Correctional Facility in Stormville, according to an announcement by US Attorney Damian Williams from Thursday, Dec. 15.  On the day of the incident, Everly allegedly hit the inmate without provocation as he exited a room in the prison, causing both men to fall. Afterward, Everl…
Migrants Flown To Martha's Vineyard Sue FL Gov. DeSantis For 'Cowardly Political Stunt' Migrants Flown To Martha's Vineyard Sue FL Gov. DeSantis For 'Cowardly Political Stunt'
Migrants Flown To Martha's Vineyard Sue FL Gov. DeSantis For 'Cowardly Political Stunt' The Venezuelan migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard at the order of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have filed a class-action lawsuit against the Republican leader for using them as "pawns in a political stunt." Lawyers for Civil Rights filed the federal civil rights lawsuit working with the migrants from Joint Base Cape Cod along with Alianza Americas. The groups said these men, women, and children fled their home country out of fear and violence and made a harrowing journey to America only to be caught in a political tug of war and left stranded with no options.   “No human being should be used…
CT AG Opens Probe Into Greenwich Schools' Hiring Practices After Assistant Principal's Video CT AG Opens Probe Into Greenwich Schools' Hiring Practices After Assistant Principal's Video
CT AG Opens Probe Into Greenwich Schools' Hiring Practices After Assistant Principal's Video Connecticut's attorney general announced his office has launched a civil rights investigation into the hiring practices of a Fairfield County school district after a video went viral of an assistant principal making comments about his hiring practices. Attorney General William Tong said Thursday, Sept. 1, he plans to investigate the Greenwich Public School District for any potentially illegal discrimination or other actionable misconduct related to the video that "appears to contain troubling, discriminatory statements that appear to have been made by a Greenwich public school official." Th…
US Sues Municipality In Westchester For Discrimination US Sues Municipality In Westchester For Discrimination
US Sues Municipality In Westchester For Discrimination The United States has filed a lawsuit against a Westchester County municipality and its fire department, alleging that they discriminated and retaliated against a female firefighter who reported that a male senior firefighter had harassed and stalked her.  The lawsuit was filed against the Town/Village of Harrison, Fire District Two of Harrison, and the Harrison Fire Department, according to an announcement on Wednesday, June 8, from Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Williams said the US is alleging that the town and fire department…
Feds Launch Investigation Into Westchester Police Department Feds Launch Investigation Into Westchester Police Department
Feds Launch Investigation Into Westchester Police Department Federal investigators have launched a probe into a Hudson Valley police department to determine whether or not officers engaged in a pattern of discriminatory policing. US Attorney Damian Williams announced that in Westchester, the Justice Department has opened a pattern or practice investigation into the Mount Vernon Police Department. According to Williams, the investigation will assess the department’s use of force, strip and body cavity searches, and how it handles evidence. The investigation will include a comprehensive review of Mount Vernon Police Department’s systems of accountabil…
Former Officer Charged With Using Excessive Force At Correctional Facility In Hudson Valley Former Officer Charged With Using Excessive Force At Correctional Facility In Hudson Valley
Former Officer Charged With Using Excessive Force At Correctional Facility In Hudson Valley A former corrections officer at the Green Haven Correctional Facility in the Hudson Valley is facing time behind the other side of the bars after being charged with using excessive force against an inmate. In federal court, Dutchess County resident Aaron Finn, age 35, of Hyde Park was charged with using excessive force that amounted to “cruel and unusual punishment” against a restrained inmate in March last year. US Attorney Damian Williams said that Finn allegedly struck and thrashed the inmate, causing bodily injury to him in violation of his Constitutional rights. “Correction officer Aa…
Bridge To Be Dedicated To MLK, KKK Victim From Westchester Bridge To Be Dedicated To MLK, KKK Victim From Westchester
Bridge To Be Dedicated To MLK, KKK Victim From Westchester A stretch of a bridge in Westchester will be dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr. and former activist Michael “Mickey” Henry Schwerner, an area native who was killed by the Ku Klux Klan. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday, July 28 that he has signed legislation designating a portion of the 3rd Street Bridge connecting Mount Vernon and Bronxville the "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - Michael Henry Schwerner Memorial Bridge.” “Civil rights icons Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Michael Henry Schwerner gave much to the cause of justice in America, and it's appropriate that we honor…
DA Calls For DOJ To Investigate Police Department In Westchester DA Calls For DOJ To Investigate Police Department In Westchester
DA Calls For DOJ To Investigate Police Department In Westchester The Westchester County District Attorney is calling on the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to launch an investigation into the Mount Vernon Police Department. DA Mimi Rocah announced on Friday, April 30 that she is calling on the DOs to investigate the department for pervasive and persistent alleged civil rights violations including unlawful strip searches, excessive use of force, and other misconduct. Rocah noted that her office is in the process of multiple criminal investigations involving certain Mount Vernon police officers. “In the course of those investigations, based largely on pub…
Video: Police Release Bodycam Footage Of Viral Arrest Video In Hudson Valley Video: Police Release Bodycam Footage Of Viral Arrest Video In Hudson Valley
Video: Police Release Bodycam Footage Of Viral Arrest Video In Hudson Valley The Ulster County Sheriff’s Office has released bodycam footage of an altercation after a 26-year-old woman alleged that deputies used excessive force while arresting her outside a Buffalo Wild Wings last week. Saugerties resident Shana Shaw was picking up food at approximately 3:45 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 28 on Ulster Avenue in Ulster when she was approached by members of the Sheriff’s Department, who sought to arrest her for driving with a suspended license after she allegedly cut him off without signaling. In a video taken at the scene that quickly went viral, Shaw was seen shrieking and s…
Westchester Man Falsely Arrested Due To Mistaken Identity Plans To Sue Westchester Man Falsely Arrested Due To Mistaken Identity Plans To Sue
Westchester Man Falsely Arrested Due To Mistaken Identity Plans To Sue A Westchester man who alleges he was falsely arrested for the sale and possession of drugs is planning a massive lawsuit targeting multiple law enforcement agencies. Attorney Lauren P. Raysor announced that she had filed a complaint on behalf of Mount Vernon resident Gordon Tarrant, who was arrested in a drug sweep two years ago. The lawsuit cites the City of Mount Vernon and Westchester County Police Departments and members of the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office and Mount Vernon Police Officer Carmelo Antonini as responsible for the arrest. Original story - Drug S…
Bob Bogen Of Mount Kisco Was Local Organizer Of Civil Rights Rallies From 1960s To Recent Years Bob Bogen Of Mount Kisco Was Local Organizer Of Civil Rights Rallies From 1960s To Recent Years
Bob Bogen Of Mount Kisco Was Local Organizer Of Civil Rights Rallies From 1960s To Recent Years Bob K. Bogen, a longtime resident of Mount Kisco, died from pancreatic cancer on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020. He was 89. Born into a prominent Jewish family in Cincinnati, OH and raised in Arcadia, CA, he converted to Quakerism at age 21 and was a member of the Chappaqua Friends Meeting in Chappaqua, serving in many roles including clerk of the Meeting.   As the son of a noted civil liberties attorney and grandson of an even more prominent social worker and war-relief leader, he put his deeply held beliefs into action as a local organizer of civil rights rallies, anti-war protests and peace vigi…
Thousands Demand Justice 10 Years After College Athlete Shot, Killed By Cop In Westchester Thousands Demand Justice 10 Years After College Athlete Shot, Killed By Cop In Westchester
Thousands Demand Justice 10 Years After College Athlete Shot, Killed By Cop In Westchester The cacophony of thousands of voices demanding justice for Danroy “DJ” Henry has grown to include some celebrities 10 years after he was killed at the hands of police in Westchester. Nearly 80,000 people have signed a change.org petition urging prosecutors to re-open Henry’s case after he was shot and killed by former Pleasantville police officer Aaron Hess in October 2010. Henry, a football player and junior at Pace University's Pleasantville campus, was at a sports bar with teammates when a fight broke out after their homecoming game in Pleasantville. Hess remained at the scene, and w…
Ban On Chokeholds, Other Police, Criminal Justice Reforms Become Law In New York Ban On Chokeholds, Other Police, Criminal Justice Reforms Become Law In New York
Ban On Chokeholds, Other Police, Criminal Justice Reforms Become Law In New York New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill into law that will radically reform policing throughout the state. At the conclusion of his daily COVID-19 briefing on Friday, June 12 in Manhattan, Cuomo signed a police reform package that he dubbed the “Say Their Name Agenda.” Flanked by Senate Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and Rev. Al Sharpton, Cuomo signed the legislation into law that includes the ban of chokeholds by police. The package also calls for the repeal of Section 50a of the Civil Rights law, which will include more transparency of police disciplinar…
NYC Will Have Curfew After Looting On Fourth Night Of Protests NYC Will Have Curfew After Looting On Fourth Night Of Protests
NYC Will Have Curfew After Looting On Fourth Night Of Protests New York City will be under a curfew effective immediately amid violent protests and looting that have broken out in the wake of George Floyd’s police-related death in Minnesota. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the curfew will be from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. effective Monday, June 1, while the state’s National Guard will be on standby following four days of protests. Additionally, the NYPD will be doubling its presence in the city to help prevent any potential violence or property damage.  The officers will be deployed to areas where violence and …
Simonne Quigley, 99, Red Cross Translator In World War II, Local Community Organizer, Activist Simonne Quigley, 99, Red Cross Translator In World War II, Local Community Organizer, Activist
Simonne Quigley, 99, Red Cross Translator In World War II, Local Community Organizer, Activist Simonne (Lanowitz) Quigley, 99, of Newton, Massachusetts, formerly of Peekskill, passed away peacefully on January 18 at her home in Newton. Born October 25, 1920 and raised in Paris, France, Simonne worked as a translator for the American Red Cross during World War II. Following the end of the war, she immigrated to the United States, settled and worked in New York City, marrying her husband of 46 years, Robert Nolan Quigley in 1948. While raising eight children and several foster children, Simonne was the Westchester co-coordinator for the Christian Family Movement’s foreign student progr…
Judith Johnson, Longtime Hudson Valley Educator, Dies Judith Johnson, Longtime Hudson Valley Educator, Dies
Judith Johnson, Longtime Hudson Valley Educator, Dies Former New York State Education Department Regent and prominent Hudson Valley educator Judith Johnson has died. During her career, Johnson, 80, spent time serving as the Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary for Education under President Bill Clinton and spent decades educating students in the Hudson Valley. Johnson spent 10 years as the Schools Superintendent in Peekskill, becoming the first African American to hold that post. She also took over at the helm in Mount Vernon in an interim position in 2012 as the district underwent wholesale changes and sought a permanent …
NY Attorney General Vows To Protect Undocumented Immigrants During Planned ICE Raids NY Attorney General Vows To Protect Undocumented Immigrants During Planned ICE Raids
NY Attorney General Vows To Protect Undocumented Immigrants During Planned ICE Raids New York is among as many as 10 cities nationwide that are going to be the target of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids targeting illegal immigrants, which are expected to begin this weekend and the state's attorney general is vowing to protect those undocumented immigrants. The raids come weeks after President Donald Trump tweeted ICE’s plans to conduct them, forcing the commander-in-chief to postpone the operation due to the leaked information and public outcry. They have now been re-scheduled to begin on Sunday, July 14, though few details have been released. The raids, which w…
State Supreme Court Judge Rules Against Rockland County Measles State Of Emergency State Supreme Court Judge Rules Against Rockland County Measles State Of Emergency
State Supreme Court Judge Rules Against Rockland County Measles State Of Emergency A State Supreme Court judge has ruled against Rockland County's state of emergency order banning people under the age of 18 who have not received a measles vaccine from public places. Rockland County Executive Ed Day instituted the ban last month after more than 160 measles cases were confirmed to be infected with the virus. Since the state of emergency, another six people have been confirmed to be carrying the disease for a total of 167 cases. The suit against the state of emergency was brought by civil rights lawyer Michael Sussman on behalf of parents of unvaccinated students at Gree…
Second Woodstock 50th Anniversary Celebration Scheduled, This One At Watkins Glen Second Woodstock 50th Anniversary Celebration Scheduled, This One At Watkins Glen
Second Woodstock 50th Anniversary Celebration Scheduled, This One At Watkins Glen Music lovers will have two ways to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary 3-day 1969 Woodstock festival on the same weekend. Bethel Woods announced last month that they will host a 50th-anniversary celebration at the original site of the renowned groove fest Aug. 16-18, 2019, at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, a concert venue built on the original Woodstock site in the Hudson Valley's Sullivan County. The latest event to be announced is Woodstock 50 at Watkins Glen in Schuyler County, running from Friday, August 16 through Sunday, August 18, announced co-p…
ICE 'Wrongfully Detains' Father In Ossining, Assemblywoman Says ICE 'Wrongfully Detains' Father In Ossining, Assemblywoman Says
ICE 'Wrongfully Detains' Father In Ossining, Assemblywoman Says A father in Northern Westchester was wrongfully detained by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Wednesday, Aug. 15, State Assemblywoman Sandy Galef said. The Ossining man's wife said the agents arrested the wrong man, according to Galef. "I applaud those who are fighting for more transparency from ICE in this arrest, and encourage those who believe their rights have been violated by an ICE agent to fill out a civil rights complaint," Galef said, which can be accessed by clicking here:   "I believe that ICE procedures need to be overhauled," Galef…
Kerry Kennedy Talks In Westchester About New Book, 50 Years After RFK Death Kerry Kennedy Talks In Westchester About New Book, 50 Years After RFK Death
Kerry Kennedy Talks In Westchester About New Book, 50 Years After RFK Death Bedford Playhouse is welcoming Kerry Kennedy for a special screening and author event on Thursday, June 7, 50 years after the assassination of her father, Robert F. Kennedy. An audience Q&A, readings from her new book and the 1968 documentary about her father, "Robert Kennedy Remembered" -- filmed immediately after his assassination -- will all be part of this special evening at the new Clive Davis Arts Center. Guests will view the Academy Award-winning documentary, "Robert Kennedy Remembered," in the newly-renovated Main Theater. An audience conversation and Q&A…
Cuomo Sends Cease, Desist Letter To ICE, Citing 'Reckless' Enforcement Cuomo Sends Cease, Desist Letter To ICE, Citing 'Reckless' Enforcement
Cuomo Sends Cease, Desist Letter To ICE, Citing 'Reckless' Enforcement New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is putting federal immigration officials on notice, threatening to sue U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in a cease and desist letter, claiming that ICE agents operating in the state have become “increasingly reckless and reflect a serious disregard for the rule of law." Cuomo sent a letter to ICE Deputy Director Thomas Homan on Wednesday following hundreds of recent arrests of immigrants from dozens of countries, calling the agency and its agents’ actions unconstitutional, “irresponsible, and in many cases, illegal.” “As reflected in news reports and…
Woman Shot During Westchester, NYC Police Chase Files Lawsuit Woman Shot During Westchester, NYC Police Chase Files Lawsuit
Woman Shot During Westchester, NYC Police Chase Files Lawsuit A woman shot by police during a high-speed chase in Westchester last year has filed multiple lawsuits against the city, NYPD and more than a dozen officers, according to a lohud report. At approximately 9 a.m. on Feb. 7, 2017, police attempted to stop Mount Vernon resident Robert Johnson, 30, for a violation in Mount Vernon, when he sped away, taking off to the Bronx. Police said that he rammed an official cruiser during the standoff before hopping a sidewalk and coming to a crashing halt at a gas station on East 234th Street near Bronx Boulevard. During the final exchange, officers fired t…
NY AG Sues Harvey Weinstein, Weinstein Company Over Sexual Misconduct NY AG Sues Harvey Weinstein, Weinstein Company Over Sexual Misconduct
NY AG Sues Harvey Weinstein, Weinstein Company Over Sexual Misconduct Mega Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused of sexual assault and harassment by numerous women dating back decades, has been hit with a civil rights lawsuit by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who announced the suit on Sunday. The suit, filed against Weinstein, the Manhattan-based Weinstein Company and Weinstein's brother, Robert, cites "egregious violations of New York’s civil rights, human rights, and business laws." The suit, filed in New York County Supreme Court, follows a four-month investigation and includes new and extensive allegations about…
Prosecutors Close Civil Rights Probe Into Fatal Westchester Police Shooting Prosecutors Close Civil Rights Probe Into Fatal Westchester Police Shooting
Prosecutors Close Civil Rights Probe Into Fatal Westchester Police Shooting Citing insufficient evidence, prosecutors have closed the civil rights probe into the fatal shooting of a mentally ill African-American man who was shot and killed by a White Plains police officer several years ago. Joon Kim, the acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that there was insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal charges for officers’ involvement in the death of Kenneth Chamberlain in 2011. Chamberlain was 68 years old at the time of the shooting. Members of the White Plains Police Department were dispatched to Chamberlain’s apartmen…