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The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a civil rights lawsuit in federal court against the city, the state Department of Education and the Honolulu Police Department over the January 2020 arrest of a then-10-year-old girl at Honowai Elementary School.
The lawsuit centers on a series of events in which the girl reportedly was accused of participating in the creation of a drawing featuring a gun and death threats above the names of students, police were called, and the girl was arrested. No charges were filed.
The suit is dated Jan. 7 and was filed on behalf of the girl, who is Black, and her mother, Tamara Taylor.
It alleges false arrest, use of excessive force, discrimination on the bases of race and disability, negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress, and negligent training and supervision.
Spokespersons for HPD and the DOE today said they would not be able to comment on pending litigation.
In November, both agencies issued public responses saying there were inaccuracies and omissions in the ACLU’s account of the case, and denied any bias in the conduct of their employees.
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