Brooklyn trio file civil case in “Hate Crime”
for alleged use of “N” Word by local man.
Three Degraw Street youths have filed a Civil Case against another area youth, over his repeated usage of the “N” word. Judge Joseph Tourcotte of Eastern District Court has allowed the case to proceed to the first phase of a Jury trial where the Degraw St. youth’s will file for damages under a number of Hate Crimes statutes enacted by New York’s recent Special Hate Crimes legislation.
Such hate crimes usually bring penalty-enhancement, in the way of added Jail time or financial renumerations in Civil Courts.
The youths allege that they endured relentless daily verbal assaults by the accused, a Mr. Lamongelo Jackson 34 also a Degraw St resident. Briefs filed with the Court, stated that: Mr. Jackson would regularly approach the trio and without provocation he would shout “what’s up my [expletive deleted] (Using the N-word and various permutations of the N-word as he would try to shake their hands.
This sort of harassment continued, despite the youths efforts to avoid Jackson. And repeated complaints filed with the local Police.
One of the Litigants in the case stated that Jackson would not only greet them with the “N” word, but he used it as a part of speech, referring to other members of the community and neighborhood associates as [expletive deleted] (N-word) Affidavits state that: It was difficult for the youths to avoid Mr. Jackson because they all lived in the same public housing complex and frequented all the same street-corners and hang-outs.
They also allege that Jackson constantly made a show of touching or “holding” his genital area -in a lewd or sexual manner… -Even when walking or leaning up against a wall.
The Jury will be convened on the first Wednesday of August and the case is expected to be appealed if the youths win their case against Jackson. The Plaintiffs are asking 1.8 M in compensation to be paid from the existing victims fund held by the City of New York, since Mr. Jackson is unemployed and not likely able to pay a substantial fine.
“People have got to understand.” stated one of the plaintiffs, -this was our 9/11…” “Every time Lamongelo walked up and said, “Whussup mah [expletive deleted] it was like the towers coming down on us. It was like 9/11 only without the ash.” “We are victims.” he said, we are seeking what is ours, we ain’t no different than the people who got hit by planes, -we get hit by a Jumbo Jet every day.” “Every time Lemongelo called us the n-word.”
