Colleges have become frequent litigation targets for students who disagree with disciplinary penalties, but a recent, short-lived lawsuit against Virginia Tech focused – not on personal injury – but on social media behavior. A student claimed Virginia Tech officials violated ...

Tagged with: Civil Rights Facebook John Doe Judge Michael F. Urbanski U.S. District Court - Western District Virginia Tech

In a county resident’s suit alleging defendant chair of the county board of supervisors violated plaintiff’s First Amendment rights by removing his comments from her board chair Facebook page, an Alexandria U.S. District Court says plaintiff can try his claim ...

Tagged with: Civil Rights Judge James C. Cacheris U.S. District Court - Eastern District

A police officer and a prosecutor who failed to revoke arrest warrants after learning that no crime was committed – leading to the arrests of an Alexandria couple – are immune from civil rights claims, a federal appeals court has ...

Tagged with: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Civil Rights Costco Fadwa Safar Jan Eshow Judge Albert Diaz Judge Henry F. Floyd Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III Judge T.S. Ellis III Stephanie Rodriguez

A Virginia prosecutor and a police officer have immunity in this suit alleging they failed to withdraw an invalid arrest warrant for theft, which led to the jailing of a breast-feeding mother for three days over a holiday weekend; the ...

Tagged with: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Civil Rights Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III

A plaintiff committed to FCI Butner as a “sexually dangerous person” under the Adam Walsh Act loses his suit contending that he is subjected to many of the same conditions of confinement as criminal detainees in federal custody at Butner. ...

Tagged with: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Civil Rights Judge Albert Diaz

Plaintiff inmate stated a claim for a First Amendment violation based on defendant correctional officer placing him in administrative segregation for filing a grievance against a prison sergeant, and the officer is not entitled to qualified immunity; however, the 4th ...

Tagged with: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Civil Rights Judge James A. Wynn Jr.

Defendant mobile home park wins summary judgment in this fair housing suit filed by plaintiffs from El Salvador and Bolivia who alleged defendant discriminates against them by requiring tenants who seek lease renewal to present certain documents relating to their ...

Tagged with: Civil Rights Judge T.S. Ellis III U.S. District Court - Eastern District

The 4th Circuit reinstates plaintiff prisoner’s First Amendment claim against defendant correctional officials who allegedly retaliated against him by filing an “Incident Report” after he complained that the mailroom supervisor had opened his confidential legal mail; the district court erred ...

Tagged with: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Civil Rights Judge Roger L. Gregory

A plaintiff does not state a claim for violation of his civil rights with allegations that defendant local officials forced him out as president of a community association in order to prepare a grant application for federal funds for improvement ...

Tagged with: Civil Rights Judge Joel Hoppe U.S. District Court - Western District

Plaintiffs who allege they were tenants of the purchasers of their home at foreclosure, under an oral agreement for additional time to relocate in exchange for allowing the buyers to inspect the property prior to plaintiffs’ relocation, may sue the ...

Tagged with: Civil Rights Judge Jackson L. Kiser U.S. District Court - Western District