Attorneys have filed a new lawsuit on behalf of members of Saratoga Black Lives Matter, alleging city officials have taken racist, unlawful actions to retaliate against activists and protesters.
The suit comes after New York Attorney General Tish James' office concluded former Saratoga Springs officials and police had violated the constitutional rights of protesters in 2020 and 2021 with unlawful harassment.
The lawsuit names current officials Mayor John Safford and Public Safety Commissioner Tim Coll, former Public Safety Commissioner Jim Montagnino, and others.
Attorney Mark Mishler represents the group and says it’s important to hold the officials, from three successive city administrations, accountable.
“At least some members of each of those administrations seemed to have believed that young activists raising issues about racism and racial violence and police misconduct and the lack of accountability for police, that for some reason these people are to be treated like they are dirt and they are not worthy of human consideration, they are not worthy of having their constitutional rights protected,” said Mishler.
The 97-page lawsuit alleges they "engaged in a long process of retaliation and attack using the powers of the City and the police department" to silence BLM activists. The suit comes a month after a follow-up letter to the city from James’ office concerning tickets issued to Lex Figuereo for two pro-Palestine protests in May.
Figeureo, one of several organizers of the May protests, was the only one cited for violating a city ordinance for failing to apply for a demonstration declaration. The attorney general’s office said it “is concerned that the City of Saratoga Springs has resumed its unconstitutional retaliation against protestors.
