ATLANTA – Comedians Eric André and Clayton English have successfully settled a lawsuit against a police program at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The program was criticized for allegedly using racial profiling and coercive searches on airline passengers, particularly targeting Black travelers just before they boarded their flights.
The lawsuit, filed in October 2022, claimed that both André and English were unjustly stopped by Clayton County police due to their race. This settlement, announced on Tuesday, does not imply any admission of wrongdoing by the county. However, it does confirm that the controversial program has been terminated and will not be reinstated.
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Both comedians reported that they were singled out and questioned about drugs while other passengers watched, describing the experience as “dehumanizing and demoralizing.” This raises important questions about racial profiling in law enforcement practices.
The program aimed to combat drug trafficking, but the lawsuit highlighted that actual drug discoveries were rare and that the police department often profited from seized cash. André remarked, “It’s a major victory that Clayton County has confirmed that it has ended this program and is now taking steps to prevent this type of abuse from happening in the future.”
English also expressed his determination to challenge the unfair treatment he experienced, stating, “What happened to me was wrong, and I wasn’t willing to let it happen to other people.”
As part of the settlement, the county has agreed to pay a total of $30,000 to the comedians, with each receiving half. Additionally, the county will now require police officers at the airport to wear body cameras and undergo training to understand the constitutional limits regarding police interactions with passengers.
Records cited in the lawsuit revealed that from August 2020 to April 2021, there were 402 jet bridge stops at the airport. Of these, the race of the passengers was noted in 378 cases, with Black passengers accounting for 56% of those stops. This data highlights a troubling trend in racial profiling.
Of the 402 stops, only three resulted in reported drug seizures, raising questions about the effectiveness of the program. The vast majority of those stopped were allowed to continue their journeys, with only two individuals facing charges related to drug possession.
This case serves as an important reminder of the ongoing issues related to racial profiling and the need for police practices to be transparent and accountable. The settlement not only reflects a victory for the comedians but also for advocates fighting against racial discrimination in law enforcement.
