Discrimination Evolves with Us

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We Filed Suit Against DC Police Officers for an Illegal Stop-and-Frisk of a Latinx Man

Rudy Flores was walking down the street in DC. Two officers jumped out of their car, threw him against a fence, restrained him, searched him, and subjected him to offensive and discriminatory comments. Mr. Flores was subjected to this conduct because he was seen having a conversation with a person the police suspected of being in a gang. Mr. Flores was never suspected of any wrongdoing. This incident is part of a pattern of unjustified stops-and-frisks of Black and Hispanic/Latino people by MPD which are driven in part by the use of a secret gang database which tracks more than 3,600 DC residents without their knowledge, and with no process to challenge or remove your name.

Algorithms Used Across Internet Exacerbate Discrimination by Depending on Demographic Information Like Race or Sex

Algorithms used across the Internet often exacerbate discrimination by depending on demographic information like race or sex to determine whether a person has access to an opportunity, such as housing or employment. The Committee has engaged in significant advocacy to address these issues including a joint amicus brief. Read more about algorithmic discrimination and digital redlining here.

Walter Reed National Military Hospital and US Navy Exchange Service Must Provide Wheelchair Accessible Restrooms Per Settlement

For years, the bathrooms at the military commissary at Walter Reed were inaccessible to wheelchair users. After a year of advocacy to compel the military to fix the problem and three years of litigation, our clients, the Equal Rights Center and a disabled military family member reached settlement that will end this discrimination. We are grateful to Beveridge & Diamond who were co-counsel on the case.

Evangeline Parker was a rising star until her co-workers started a vicious rumor that she was "sleeping her way to the top." She was then subjected to horrific treatment and was fired for standing up against the unrelenting, discriminatory treatment. We filed suit and a jury awarded Ms. Parker significant damages which she plans to use to start her own small, minority-owned business.

Dear Friend,

As we progress as a society, discrimination does so too. While we work to dismantle systems of inequity, new forms of discrimination continue to evolve. One critical example is digital redlining. As people rely more and more on social media to find housing opportunities, the biases in advertisers' algorithms become increasingly devastating.

At the Washington Lawyers' Committee, we pivot to take on the challenges on the horizon like digital redlining while continuing to address longstanding, systemic issues. Our cases and advocacy this month exemplify both aspects of our work. Thank you to all of you who are making this possible.

Jonathan M. Smith
Executive Director

We're Hiring... Housing Justice Organizer/Advocate, Housing Justice Counsel, Bilingual Paralegal washlaw.org/careers

We're Hiring!

We're expanding! The civil rights work of our time needs people like you to keep the momentum going. The Washington Lawyers' Committee is seeking a:

Housing Justice Organizer/Advocate
Housing Justice Counsel
Bilingual Paralegal

If you're interested in joining our team, visit washlaw.org/careers

More News

The Committee joined a letter urging Mayor Bowser to use growing revenue to immediately address the eviction crisis that stands to harm over 40,000 households.

Our case against American University for unlawful use of force, seizure, and institutionalization by campus police was highlighted by Bloomberg Law.

Reflecting on January 6, 2021, our 2015 report on DC Jail conditions was mentioned in Dallas Weekly, our case against the Proud Boys was highlighted by Jeannie Rhee of Paul Weiss in The National Law Journal, and Jonathan M. Smith, Executive Director, was quoted in TIME and The Washington Post.

The Washington Post quoted Jonathan Smith on the concerning use of for-profit police training.

Join many of our partners January 27th at 5:30PM for the MPD Gang Database Teach-In to learn about police surveillance and what we can do to fight back. RSVP!

We joined a letter to the DC Department of Health & Human Services on the Omicron variant's severe impact on people experiencing homelessness.

Brook Hill, Counsel, helped organize a training for attorneys and organizers on how to collaborate on housing justice issues. Watch the training here.

The Committee joined a coalition of 324 organizations and individuals calling for President Biden’s 2023 budget to address systemic racism, policies, and practices that harm Black and Brown students.

Together with FAMM, Willkie Farr, and many others, the Committee urged the Bureau of Prisons to address confusion on their communication and media relations policies for people on home confinement.

The Committee signed on to a letter urging Mayor Bowser and the DC Council take urgent action to fix the conditions and culture at the DC Department of Corrections.

Jonathan Smith was quoted by the LA Times after reviewing footage of a tragic, deadly shooting by LAPD officers at a Burlington Coat Factory store.

“Even if [Letitia James] has political beliefs about Trump, there are legitimate claims that have been raised about the conduct of the Trump Organization and Trump himself that would justify the investigations.” – Jonathan M. Smith in The New York Times.

The Washington Post quoted Jonathan Smith on police investigations by state Attorney Generals.

Get Involved

The Committee is always looking for co-counsel on important cases. If you want to receive regular emails with available matters, please email jonathan_smith@washlaw.org. Or take a compassionate release or a parole matter or help at our workers’ rights clinic.

Compassionate Release and Parole

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to sicken and kill persons incarcerated in prison. While through our parole representation program and our participation in the Compassionate Release Clearinghouse, we have secured attorneys for hundreds of prisoners seeking release, we continue to need help.

Attorneys interested in taking a parole case should contact stacey_litner@washlaw.org.

To take a compassionate release case, go to CRClearinghouse.org.

Workers' Rights Clinics

The Committee conducts Workers’ Rights Clinics which provide one-on-one consultation with a trained Intake Volunteer who will provide legal advice brief services, under the supervision of an experienced employment law attorney. These clinics are currently held remotely during the pandemic.

Attorneys wishing to volunteer should contact clinic@washlaw.org.

To schedule an intake with our Clinic, call (202) 319-1000 ext. 118. For Spanish please call (202) 319-1000 ext. 123.