Citizens File Federal Lawsuit Over ‘Blacklist’; City Declines to Specify Criteria
Four of the 81 people whose names were added without their knowledge to a list of people requiring a police escort in City Hall filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday afternoon against the city. The court action came only hours after city officials declined to release the criteria for putting people on the list, citing a state law allowing confidentiality of security measures in government buildings. The plaintiffs named in the lawsuit are Elaine Blanchard, who officiated one of the first same-sex weddings in Memphis after a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling; Mid-South Peace and Justice Executive Director Bradley Watkins and coordinator Paul Garner; and activist Keedran “TNT” Franklin. The lawsuit — which you can read in its entirety here — seeks …