Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / April 25, 1996, edition 1 / Page 22
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1. York/tE^Iie Cljarlotte ^osit/Rowan REGIONAL THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 1996 N.C. suit claims police misconduct during car search By Jim Rouse (Greenville) MINORITY VOICE T he question as to whether or not African American citizens are entitled to equal protection under the law is now before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Va. This case arose out of an inci dent that occurred in Greenville N.C. on Feb. 9, 1993. Jeannette Teel Taft, an African American female, her 15-year-old son, daughter, niece and nephew (age 10 and 16), brought a claim for dam ages in the United States District of North Carolina under 42 USC 1983 for police brutality. Taft and her chil dren allege that during the stop and search of her car for a murder suspect, police con ducted illegal body searches of the girls that involved fondling and mishandling their but tocks, breasts, and private body parts; used excessive extreme force on the 15-year- old boy by grabbing him in the groin and private body areas and placed a gun to their heads. Police denied that such atrocities occurred and police moved for summary j.udge- ment without a trial on the grounds of qualified immunity. District Court Judge James C. Fox granted that motion and dismissed the case. Taft and her family, who did not have Everyday HEROES I -mt PHOTOS/RAYNARD HARRIS Last week’s HEROES program included entertainment from musical groups. By Thomie Moses FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST Ii Newspaper columnist William Raspberry was guest speaker. ROCK HILL - More and more programs are being implement ed across the state to reach out and help economically disadvan taged school age children achieve success in the classroom. HEROES ia another such program whose main objective is edu cating young people spiritually, socially and academically. “We seek to touch the whole child,” said Joan Miller, executive director of HEROES. HEROES - Helping Education Reach Out Every Student - is a six-year sequential educational support program. The purpose of the program is to promote scholastic achievement through a reg imen of intense preparation. It is a holistically-based program aimed at economically disadvantaged secondary school students, according to Miller. HEROES is designed to meet the needs of all candidates regard less of race, religion, creed or color. The first phase consists of a four-week residency at Clinton College covering a range of materials that are intended to provide See HEROES Page 7B Freaknik was a real bummer Red carpet didn’t come out for fest By Wade Nash FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST ATLANTA - Freaknikers came to Atlanta to party, block the streets with their hype cars, buy hype t-shirts and hang out in the malls. What they found was noth ing like Freaknik of the past and many left with thoughts of never coming back because the welcome mat was rolled up, not out. Yes, the main street were blocked but it wasn’t fly girls in Daisy Duke shorts, but Atlanta Police, Fulton County Sheriffs, and Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents. Over PHOTO/WADE NASH Atlanta police chief Beverly Harvard helped patrol the streets during Freaknik. 1,200 arrests were made, the malls closed at 6 p.m., and even Mother Nature rained on the Freaknikers’ party. “The students weren’t want ed and they’re not partying on every corner,” cried t-shirt ven dor Ronnie Love. “The stu dents have been reluctant to buy because they’ve got cops on every corner daring them to mess up and it’s down to them once they get out to party. “Freaknik is losing its respect for what its about,” Love continued. “Now it’s like Jim Crow is running things with blacks out front doing the ass kicking.” Atlanta's Underground, Greenbriar Mall, South Dekalb Mall and Lennox Mall all closed at 6 p.m., leaving the kids with no where to go. Lennox closed because of over crowding and mall directors feared a law suit and were try ing to keep fire marshals from shutting them down. Last year local youth vandal ized stores, skipped school and hung out with the college kids, but that wasn’t the case this year. On Friday, police arrest ed teenagers for skipping school and the students ended up in lockup at night for cur- See FREAKNIK page 7B U an attorney then, employed Robert L. White, an African American attorney in Greenville, who appealed the case to the United States Court of Appeals for the fourth circuit. On appeal the case was argued in Baltimore, Md. On November 16, the 4th Circuit reversed and ordered a trial, stated even under the police officers version of the facts the amount of force used may been unreasonable. In an unusual move, the Court of Appeals has granted the defendants a rehearing en banc, meaning all active Court of Appeals judges will rehear the case. The arguments in this case will be heard in Richmond on May 2. Improving human relations Salisbury/Rowan council working on programs By Carol Meeks FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST SALISBURY -The Salisbury/Rowan Human Relations Council is aggressively working to improve the quality of life for Rowan residents. County document.s state: “'The Purpose of the Salisbury/Rowan Human Relations Council is to help create and promote a com munity climate in which all people are educated, emplos^ed, housed and respected on the basis of individual merit and ability without regard to race creed sex age national origin or handicap.” With part of the vision for this year’s coimcil being to increase the confidence level of the community in the Human Relations Council, “it assumes regular responsibility for maintaining fair housing by monitoring placement and rental practices in housing project units." Similarly, the 18-member council stands ready to hear complaints about racial discrimination in housing that are brought to its attention. Last year the council began monitoring and participating in community based groups organized by three area neighborhoods representing the West Side, the East Side and Park Avenue. For the council, the goal for monitoring these activities is to ensure that events and regular living situations continue in harmony. When this is not done, it is the responsibility of the HRC to bring together the different sides to work out the problem or disagree ment or to help any group with a verifiable human relations griev ance reach the appropriate office or agency where the resolution process can begin. This year, HRC has taken on additional issues. In its April meet ing, it approved a resolution to encourage churches to establish one or two events this year where African American congregations See COUNCIL Page 7B New York officer sues S.C. Highway Patrol for damages By Kim Curtis THE ASSOCIATED PRESS COLUMBIA, S.C. - A black New York [City police officer says her career is over and she lives with constant pain because of an incident on a Orangeburg County highway four years ago. Detra Hudson-Gardner was pulled over in February 1992 for driving 80 mph in a 65 mph zone on Interstate 95 near Santee. She says after she •stopped, former Trooper B.J. Hill and Trooper A.L. I Stack beat her, kicked her and pulled her hair and Stack fondled her breasts while she was hand cuffed. "It has changed my life drastically,” Mrs. Hudson- Gardner testified Monday. "Not only the physical I pain ... being a young woman I can’t do things I nor- I mally do.” Hudson-Gardner, 39, is suing the two men and “the state Highway Patrol for assault and battery, malicious prosecution and civil rights violations. Duffie Stone, one of the patrol’s attorneys, says Hudson- Gardner has no proof to support her allegations - only her sister’s testimony. The troopers were cleared by internal affairs, he said. Hudson-Gardner’s sister, who is a doctor, and her then-3-year- old son were in the car when she was stopped. Hill testified that Hudson-Gardner refused to immediately pro vide him with her license and registration. He said he then arrest ed her but she still refused to cooperate, so he was forced to drag her from her car. Hudson-Gardner spent a night in jail charged with speeding, failure to display license and resisting arrest. See POLICE page 7B
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April 25, 1996, edition 1
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