Section 1983 to the Rescue
Protecting the legal rights of rescuers and shelter volunteers.
Search Results for: 1983
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Section 1983 to the Rescue
It can be a cruel “Sophie’s Choice” for animal rescuers: observe in silence deplorable conditions and mistreatment of animals in government run shelters or call attention to the plight of the suffering animals and face the possibility of retaliation that can mean being deprived of the ability to save lives. Sadly, this is not some fictional plot device but the reality that rescuers confront when they seek reform from apathetic or incompetent shelter directors and their staffs or, failing that, meaningful oversight from elected or higher level municipal officers to whom the directors report.
Articles Corruption
Lawsuit: Franklin County, OH, Pound Director Retaliated Against Rescuers
The director of Franklin County Animal Care and Control (FCACC) and other county officials are violating federal law and infringing on the First Amendment rights of rescuers, according to a new lawsuit filed by Guardians for the Animals of Ohio. The lawsuit alleges that the director of the Franklin County, OH, pound suspended the ability of the rescue group to save animals scheduled to be killed because other people posted critical comments about the pound…
Articles Corruption
Lawsuit: University of Wisconsin is censoring “cruelty against monkeys”
A former student is suing the University of Wisconsin – Madison (UW) for violation of her First Amendment rights. The plaintiff worked at a lab that uses primates for “behavioral research.” She “claims that during her time as a caregiver, she witnessed cruelty against the monkeys she cared for.” According to the Complaint, UW has been hiding her comments on its Facebook and Instagram pages so no one could see them, preventing others from learning…
Articles Corruption
Lawsuit: Williston, ND, Police Department Illegally Kills Dogs/Threatens Families
Over a dozen residents and former residents of North Dakota have filed a Federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Williston for violating their constitutional rights by arbitrarily banning dogs the City claims are “pit bulls.” Some of the plaintiff’s dogs were killed, others were forced to relocate their dogs in order to avoid their killing, and still others are being threatened with fines and imprisonment and having their dogs killed. The Williston Police…
Articles
Justice Department Threatens to Undermine Shelter Reform Efforts
The President is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in a case with enormous implications for shelter reform advocates. At his direction, the Justice Department wants it to overturn “a federal appeals court ruling that found the president’s practice of blocking critics [on social media] violates the First Amendment.” The President is not the only public official to violate Federal law by censoring speech. Virginia Delegate Bobby Orrock, a Republican, has done it; as…
Articles
Gov’t Officials Can’t Ban Shelter Reformers on Social Media
In a victory for free speech — and a victory for anyone who has spoken out on behalf of animals mistreated, abused, and killed in city pounds — the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit has put the final nail on the coffin for public officials who delete comments or ban people for criticizing them or their policies on social media. It is the third appellate ruling (out of three) to rule that…
Articles Corruption
Pueblo Councilmember’s Conduct Both Shameful & Dangerous
I recently received a letter from a law firm, on behalf of a Pueblo, CO, City Councilmember. The letter accused me of making “false and defamatory statements” about the Councilmember and threatening me with litigation for articles I wrote challenging her op-ed in the local newspaper in which she defended the killing of animals at the Pueblo pound by hiding behind PETA’s anti-No Kill rhetoric. My articles were not just accurate; they are politically protected…
Articles Corruption
Lawsuit: St. Louis County Pound Illegally Silences Volunteers
Photo courtesy of St. Louis County SAVE: volunteers are the eyes, ears, and hearts of a community. Silencing volunteers renders the death of animals invisible. The officials who oversee the St. Louis County, MO, pound are not just dishonest. They don’t just violate the law. They kill animals in the face of cost-effectively, readily-available lifesaving alternatives they refuse to implement. And when volunteers speak out about it, they are fired. But volunteers are fighting back.…
Articles Corruption
Maricopa County Fires Volunteer “Whistleblowers”
Earlier this month, “multiple Phoenix TV stations reported that the temperatures inside the county’s west shelter topped 100 degrees, citing photos [taken by volunteers] sent to the stations showing hand thermometers with temperatures reading as high as 108 degrees.” According to volunteers, Maricopa County, Management knew that it had been a problem last year and new swamp coolers had been ordered. A few were replaced, however the remaining weren’t due to be replaced until September…