Comedians Eric Andre' and Clayton English are doubling down on their fight against alleged racial profiling by Clayton County Police at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, the duo has filed an appeal after their lawsuit was dismissed last year, claiming they were unjustly targeted due to their race. The police's specialized Airport Interdiction Unit, during an eight-month period, is said to have stopped over 400 passengers, with more than half of them being Black, despite Black travelers making up only 8 percent of the airport’s domestic passengers.
The appeal draws heavy support from a coalition of civil rights groups and members of the entertainment industry, including Tyler Perry, Jamie Foxx, and Taraji P. Henson. The ACLU of Georgia has jumped in to back the comedians, alongside a plethora of amici ranging from law enforcement officials to empirical scholars and advocacy groups. According to the ACLU of Georgia, the amicus briefs seek to shed light on the struggles and history of Black people's freedom of movement, the ineffectiveness of jet bridge stops, and the broader repercussions of such discriminatory practices on public safety.
English and Andre' experienced their stops in October 2020 and April 2020, respectively; each was halted before boarding flights and questioned about possession of illegal drugs. The initial lawsuit claimed Fourth Amendment and Equal Protection Clause violations, but was dismissed due to the doctrine of qualified immunity. Now, the case's appeal aims to not only overturn the dismissal but to also push the case through to discovery to uncover the full scope of the alleged unconstitutional practices of the CCPD.
Lawsuits aside, the narrative provided by English and Andre', who have described being blocked from their flights and interrogated, resonates with many. This narrative is part of a larger concern voiced by other Black professionals, as highlighted in a 2023 investigation, which included accounts from individuals like film director Tabari Sturdivant and actor Jean Elie who experienced similar stops. Their stories are more than mere anecdotes, they potentially paint a broader picture of systemic issues that have yet to be fully addressed by the courts.
As the legal wheels turn, an oral argument before the Eleventh Circuit is being sought by Andre' and English, with a decision anticipated later this year. Details of the case, including all amicus briefs, are available to the public on the Policing Project's case page. The outcome may have significant implications for the discussion on racial profiling and law enforcement tactics at one of the busiest airports in the world.
