Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Discrimination, Georgia 2022

DOJ Reaches Settlement with Liberty County Sheriff’s Office Over Racial Discrimination Allegations

The Liberty County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) has agreed to modernize its policing operations and prevent racial discrimination practices after settling a civil rights complaint filed by the Delaware State University (DSU), a historically black university.

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, the LCSO cooperated with federal authorities to reach the agreement, which will ensure that the agency’s policing practices are free from racial bias.

The lawsuit, filed in May 2022, alleged that the LCSO discriminated against DSU students, coaches, and drivers during a traffic stop in Georgia. The university claimed that the subsequent questioning and search of the passengers’ personal belongings, which were predominantly black, constituted illegal racial discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

As part of the agreement, the LCSO will review its bias-free policing policies, update its traffic stop and traffic law enforcement policies as needed, and develop and implement data collection procedures, among other provisions.

“The justice and racial equity are fundamental principles in effective law enforcement, especially for agencies that benefit from federal funds,” said Kristen Clarke, the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “The students and staff of Delaware State University deserve racial equity in law enforcement and a policing system that is free from racial bias. The agreement we have reached with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office will help ensure that, in the future, its policing practices are free from racial discrimination and bias.”

The settlement is a significant step in ensuring that law enforcement agencies that receive federal funding comply with federal civil rights laws, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Defendant: Liberty County Sheriff’s Office

Criminal Charges: Racial Discrimination

City and State: Liberty County, Georgia

Exact Date: May 2022

Sentence/Outcome: Settlement agreement

Dollar Amounts: None specified

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