In what is being heralded as a far-reaching win for civil rights, the Supreme Court on Monday ruled that an Abercrombie & Fitch clothing store in Oklahoma unlawfully discriminated against a Muslim job applicant by rejecting her for a sales position because she wore a hijab. In an 8-1 decision, the court sided with the…
A former United Parcel Service delivery driver demanding restitution for discrimination she allegedly faced while pregnant just won a favorable ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 6-3 decision on Wednesday, the justices tossed out a lower court ruling that had dismissed the case of the plaintiff, Peggy Young. The decision effectively sends the…
South Bend has a new Code Enforcement director. Mayor Pete Buttigieg named Randy Wilkerson to the position earlier this week. It was only last July that Wilkerson joined the city’s workforce as the chief inspector for Code Enforcement. He has served as the interim director for the department since October. Prior to Wilkerson’s employment in…
A federal judge ruled in favor of the National Security Agency in a key surveillance case on Tuesday, dismissing a challenge which claimed the government’s spying operations were groundless and unconstitutional. Filed in 2008 by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the lawsuit, Jewel v. NSA, aimed to end the agency’s warrantless surveillance of U.S. citizens, which…
A libel lawsuit filed against a member of the South Bend Common Council has been dismissed. Four South Bend Police Department officers — Tim Corbett, Dave Wells, Steve Richmond and Brian Young — sued Councilman Henry Davis Jr. (2nd District), alleging libel and defamation of character. Judge Jenny Manier dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning…
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana has filed a lawsuit against the city of South Bend over its recently-passed ordinance that regulates social media and Internet usage. The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Indiana in South Bend on behalf of Councilman Oliver Davis (6th District). The…
The Obama administration has allowed Colorado and Washington state to implement their recreational marijuana laws since being approved by voters in their respective states in 2012. The Justice Department outlined in 2013 guidelines that geared enforcement to eight specific areas. The memo requires federal prosecutors to focus their resources on preventing the growing of marijuana…
Families of those killed in the Newtown, Connecticut school shooting tragedy are suing the companies that produce and sell the Bushmaster AR-15 rifle, charging that those parties are purposely making and distributing a weapon built to inflict “unparalleled civilian carnage.” The suit, filed on Monday, comes a day after the two-year anniversary of the December…
The South Bend Common Council approved an ordinance at Monday night’s council meeting that regulates the conduct of its members on social media. A few minor changes were made to the proposal prior to its passage. The ordinance would prohibit the posting of “obscene” images or videos on social media accounts. Offenders who violate the…
The South Bend Common Council is debating a proposed ordinance that would cover social media policies for its members. The ordinance could come up for a vote as early as December 8. The ordinance would prohibit the posting of “obscene” or “offensive” images or videos on social media accounts. Offenders who violate the ordinance would…
