Today, ECBAWM client Jazmine Headley filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of New York and its Human Resources Administration (“HRA”) peace officers and New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) officers who attacked and arrested her at the DeKalb Job Center on December 7, 2018. Simply because Ms. Headley was sitting on the floor waiting for her appointment, these officers brandished a taser in Ms. Headley’s face, forcibly yanked her one-year-old son from her arms, charged her with several crimes, and detained her on Rikers Island for days.  Her experience is just one example of HRA security staff’s widespread abuse of New Yorkers who seek assistance with their public benefits.

Ms. Headley is represented by ECBAWM attorneys Katie Rosenfeld and Emma Freeman.

Press Release
“Woman Whose Child Was Taken in Viral Arrest Video Sues New York City, NYPD,” New York Law Journal
“Jazmine Headley sues city over violent arrest at Brooklyn benefits office,” Politico
“Mom whose baby was ripped from her arms at benefits center sues city,” New York Post
“Mom Whose Baby Was Snatched In Social Services Office Sues City,” Patch