Comedians Eric André and Clayton English Win Legal Battle Against Clayton County, Georgia: Fourth Amendment Claims Upheld
Comedian Eric André and fellow comedian Clayton English recently won a legal battle against Clayton County, Georgia, and the Clayton County Police Department. The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled in their favor, stating that the plaintiffs had plausible claims of Fourth Amendment violations. The court reversed the dismissal of the Fourth Amendment claims against Clayton County but affirmed the dismissal of other claims.
In the lawsuit, André alleged that he was racially profiled during a layover at the Atlanta airport in 2021. Investigators stopped him on the jet bridge and questioned him about carrying illegal drugs. André claimed he was not free to leave and was only allowed to board the plane after being questioned for about five minutes. Clayton English had a similar experience in 2020, leading the comedians to allege that Clayton County's drug program targets passengers based on race.
The higher court found that André's Fourth Amendment claims against Clayton County were valid and should not have been dismissed. The case will now return to the lower court to resume where it left off before being dismissed. This ruling marks a significant victory for André and English in their fight against alleged civil rights violations by the Georgia police department.