Federal Judge: Police Pepper-Spraying Birmingham Students for Discipline Is Unconstitutional
Between 2006 and 2011, police officers patrolling Birmingham City Schools pepper-sprayed students more than a hundred times. But late Thursday, months after a trial that concluded in February, U.S. District Judge Abdul Kallon ruled the practice unconstitutional.
Although the ruling says chemical sprays are sometimes warranted, hence the lack of a total ban, the judge called using them in typical school-discipline scenarios “profoundly disturbing.” He ordered the Birmingham Police Department to drastically improve spray-weapons training for school resource officers. That would include, among other things, decontamination protocols and having changes of clothes available for students who’ve been sprayed.
The judge also awarded six of the eight unnamed plaintiffs a total of $40,000 for officers’ use of “excessive force,” for failure to decontaminate sprayed students, or for — in two cases — both.
During a media call organized by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which filed the lawsuit in 2010, a plaintiff and former Birmingham high school student identified as B.D. said, “Today we’re just happy that there won’t be any more of what we went through. It’s good to know children can finally go to school and feel safe.”
Police lawyers are not commenting except to say they “respectfully disagree ” with the ruling and that “all legal options are on the table.”
To view the 120-page ruling, click here. To listen to the October 1 SPLC media call, which includes thoughts from the case’s lead attorney, plaintiff B.D., and B.D.’s mother, click below.
Tributes, not politics, play center stage as Trump hosts the Kennedy Center Honors
President Trump said he was closely involved with picking the honorees, and on Sunday he became the first president to host the Kennedy Center awards ceremony.
Thailand launches airstrikes along border with Cambodia as tensions reignite
Both sides accused the other of breaking a ceasefire that halted fighting earlier this year. Longstanding border disputes erupted into five days of combat in July that killed dozens.
Rafael Ithier, a legend of salsa music, dies at 99
The pianist, composer and arranger spent more than six decades turning El Gran Combo into one of the premier salsa institutions of Latin America and beyond.
Light from satellites will ruin majority of some space telescope images, study says
Astronomers have long been concerned about reflections from satellites showing up in images taken by telescopes and other scientific instruments.
Defense Department is reviewing boat strike video for possible release, Hegseth says
In a speech on Saturday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the strikes, saying: "President Trump can and will take decisive military action as he sees fit to defend our nation's interests."
Bama, Miami in, Notre Dame out and Indiana No. 1 in College Football Playoff rankings
Nobody paying attention for the past 24 months would be surprised to see Indiana – yes, Indiana – leading the way into this year's College Football Playoff.
