PUBLIC INVITED SATURDAY, MAY 18, 9:30am HUSTON-TILLOTSON -- STUDENT UNION TCRP will host a stakeholders dialog this coming Saturday morning to discuss the issues of inequity within schools in the Austin Independent School District. AISD Trustees have also been invited to attend and offer comments after the dialog. The event, “Community Conversation: Achieving Equity in Austin ISD” will take place May 18, Saturday morning, from 9:30am-12:30pm, at the Davage-Durden Student Union … [Read more...]
TCRP Creates Materials to Protect Prisoners’ Rights
March 22, 2013 by
The Texas Civil Rights Project has created materials to help county jail inmates protect their rights. New guides to filing grievances in the state’s largest county jails are now available on TCRP’s website at our Prisoners' Rights Page, and will be shared at TexasLawHelp.org. The Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) requires prisoners to use a jail’s grievance system before they can complain about civil rights violations in court. “Unfortunately, jails in Texas all have different … [Read more...]
STCRP Files Suit Against City of San Juan to Disclose Information on Vehicle Checkpoints and Databases
March 20, 2013 by
Civil Right group files suit to protect constitutional safeguards against arbitrary police actions Alamo, Texas -- The South Texas Civil Rights Project (STCRP) filed a state lawsuit, STCRP v. City of San Juan. The San Juan Police Department has been conducting vehicle checkpoints with the stated purpose of compiling a database of all known gang members in the area. Joseph Martin, attorney for STCRP, noted that, "we believe that such checkpoints are unconstitutional, and that information … [Read more...]
PCRP Calls for Investigation of Fatal Police Shooting of Handcuffed Man
March 12, 2013 by
Civil Rights Organization Demands that Police Department Train Officers on De-escalation of Violence Paso del Norte Civil Rights Project (PCRP) is calling for a full and open investigation into the shooting by police of a handcuffed man last Friday night outside the Downtown jail. The officer, whose name has not been released, shot the detained man, who later died in the hospital. PCRP Attorney Jed Untereker said today, “This shooting, as reported, is deeply troubling. It is hard to … [Read more...]
Mother Files Federal Wronfgul Death Lawsuit Against Hays County
February 21, 2013 by
Hays County Jail Ignored Son’s Threat to Commit Suicide SAN MARCOS, TX -- The Texas Civil Rights Project and local attorney Mary Cirkiel filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Diana Riley, mother of Eric Dykes. Eric took his own life in the Hays County Jail after officers ignored his threats to harm himself. Two years ago, Eric committed suicide in the jail by hanging himself with a towel and a mesh bag issued by jailers. The suit alleges officers put Eric in a cell where he … [Read more...]
TCRP Joins Call for DNA Identification of Border Casualties
February 20, 2013 by
Falfurrias,TX- The Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP) and community allies, including La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), Proyecto Azteca, ARISE, and Houston United convened on the steps of the Brooks County courthouse in Falfurrias, TX to voice a collective concern for the growing number of unidentified bodies being buried in Falfurrias, TX. “What we are dealing with throughout South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley is the changing pattern of migration,” TCRP Houston Legal Advocate Tom … [Read more...]
Former San Antonio City Employee Sues City Attorney and Police Chief Over Ban from City Hall
February 11, 2013 by
FORMER CITY EMPLOYEE SUES CITY ATTORNEY AND POLICE CHIEF OVER PERMANENT, INDEFINITE BANNING FROM CITY HALL AND FACILITIES -------- ATTORNEY CALLS IT “21ST CENTURY STAR CHAMBER” AND “VIOLATION OF EVERYTHING THE FIRST AMENDMENT STANDS FOR" -------- SEEKS PUNITIVE DAMAGES AGAINST CITY ATTORNEY AND POLICE CHIEF Former San Antonio employee Michael Cuellar today filed suit in San Antonio federal court against the City of San Antonio, City Attorney Michael Bernard, and Police Chief William … [Read more...]
TCRP – Houston Condemns Federal Judge’s Racially Intolerant Comments, Calls for Resignation
February 5, 2013 by
Houston, TX — Texas Civil Rights Project-Houston is asking for the resignation of U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes today after more racially intolerant comments by the Judge surfaced last Friday. The comments were made at a hearing this past November in an employment discrimination case where the plaintiff, who was born in India and is Hindu, is suing the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for employment discrimination based on race, national origin, and/or religion. Jitendra Shah v. Texas … [Read more...]
PCRP Calls for Investigation of Bullying Incident that Put Student in Hospital
January 25, 2013 by
Civil Rights organization demands that Socorro ISD protect its students and provide training EL PASO, TX -- The Paso del Norte Civil Rights Project (PCRP) is calling for a full and open investigation into the school bullying incident that left a 13 year-old seventh grader in the hospital. The attack occurred yesterday morning at the Jane A. Hambric School, which is part of the Socorro Independent School District, and left the middle school student unconscious and in need of medical … [Read more...]
TCRP Wins Case for Disabled Woman Banned from Church
January 3, 2013 by
The Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP) won an important victory for the rights of people with disabilities when the 190th District Court in Harris County ruled that church authorities discriminated against Ms. Malaika Adan when they retaliated against her after complaining about the inaccessibility of the restroom, and banned her from the church facilities. “The outrageous aspect of this case was not the inaccessible restroom, but the attitude of the authorities of Beth Yeshua HaMashiach in … [Read more...]