Latest news with #CovingtonBurling
CBS News
30-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Baltimore City schools failed to address reports of antisemitism, lawsuit alleges
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) filed a federal civil rights complaint Wednesday against Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS), alleging the district allowed Jewish students to face "egregious and persistent discrimination and harassment" and failed to address numerous antisemitic incidents. The Title VI complaint, submitted to the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, claims the district knowingly permitted a hostile environment for Jewish students. The ADL, represented by Covington & Burling LLP, filed the complaint on behalf of Jewish parents whose children attend schools in the district. "This is not something that students coming into their sixth-grade classes, seventh-grade classes, eighth-grade classes, high school classes should have to face as they're trying to learn and trying to grow and be part of their school environment," said Corena Larimer, with the Anti-Defamation League. BCPS acknowledged there were some troubling incidents, which it said have been addressed. A spokesperson told WJZ that the district rejects antisemitism and has taken steps to ensure a welcoming environment for all students. According to the complaint, antisemitic incidents escalated following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel. One alleged case involved a teacher at Bard High School Early College, who reportedly directed Nazi salutes at the only Jewish student in his class during a January 2025 discussion on Shakespeare. Both the teacher's and student's names were redacted from the filing. When the student later confronted the teacher, the complaint alleges the teacher responded that "it is ok [for him] to do it because it does not cause anybody harm" and added the student "cannot sanitize his teachings." The complaint states the student experienced antisemitic harassment from the teacher for more than two years. Other incidents cited include alleged antisemitic text messages sent to Jewish students at Mt. Washington School, including a "Zionist or Nazi?" quiz and alleged threats such as "we should call Hamas and have them come here." The ADL also alleged that students at the school performed Nazi salutes on a daily basis. Additional allegations involve repeated swastika graffiti on school properties with minimal consequences, a teacher who reportedly said, "I'm about to go all Nazi on you," and a poster at Baltimore City College displaying the slogan "from the river to the sea," which the ADL claims is in support of the destruction of Israel and denial of Jewish self-determination. "Students have been coming to school and facing harassment from peers, being told that the death of six million Jews in the Holocaust was not enough, suggesting that Hamas should come and inflict violence and terror on the Baltimore Jewish population," Larimer said. The complaint asserts that Jewish students at Bard High School, Baltimore City College, and Mt. Washington School were forced to isolate themselves, drop classes, hide their identities, and eat alone to avoid harassment. When parents requested concrete action plans or educational programming, the district allegedly offered inadequate responses or ignored the concerns altogether. "The failure of Baltimore City Public Schools to address this hostile environment has left Jewish students feeling abandoned and unsafe," said Tali Cohen, regional director of ADL Washington, D.C. "Rather than removing antisemitism from classrooms and protecting Jewish students, the district remained inactive and silent." The complaint calls on the U.S. Department of Education to investigate the environment in city schools and urges the school district to adopt a series of remedies, including mandatory staff training, curriculum updates, and enforcement of zero-tolerance policies for antisemitic conduct. BCPS said it addressed the alleged incidents at Bard and Mt. Washington when they occurred. "When we know that something happened, and we received a report whether it be at Bard or Mt. Washington or Poly, we were able to address it," BCPS spokesperson Andre Riley said. He told WJZ that the allegations are troubling. "We reject antisemitism, racism, or any kind of bullying in our school district. So yes, we didn't want to hear that about ourselves, but we know that bullying will always be a challenge, and we're determined to eradicate it," Riley said. Riley added that an investigation has taken place and actions are underway, but the district cannot yet reveal specific details. He said the district has taken all steps possible to ensure a welcoming environment. "We want them to know that regardless of who you are, regardless of your background, we will support you. Our schools are places of civility, they're a welcoming environment, and they're places you can come to be respected and cared about," Riley said. Advocates in the Baltimore area have recently taken steps to combat hate and antisemitism. On Tuesday, The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore launched The Center to Combat Antisemitism and Hate, a new facility aimed at educating the public about antisemitism and fighting misinformation. The region has seen several antisemitic incidents in recent years. Just last week, a portion of a Baltimore School Board meeting was interrupted by racist and antisemitic content. The interruption prompted a hate crime investigation, officials said.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pam Bondi abruptly fires Justice Department's top ethics chief in four-sentence letter
Attorney General Pam Bondi has fired the ethics director at the Department of Justice in a four-sentence letter that misspells his name, marking the latest departure from the agency during a mass exodus of career prosecutors under Donald Trump's administration. A letter to 'Jospeh Tirrell' sent on July 11 and seen by The Independent notes his termination is 'effective immediately' but does not state a reason why he was abruptly fired. Joseph Tirrell, who had served as the director of the Justice Department's ethics office since 2023, was responsible for reviewing financial disclosures and other matters related to the attorney general's office and other top law enforcement officials. He led a team of roughly 30 people to ensure government lawyers and other officials adhered to ethical guidelines. 'My public service is not over, and my career as a federal civil servant is not finished,' he wrote Monday on LinkedIn. 'I took the oath at 18 as a midshipman to 'support and defend the Constitution of the United States.' I have taken that oath at least five more times since then. That oath did not come with the caveat that I need only support the Constitution when it is easy or convenient.' Tirrell's firing follows Bondi's purge of roughly 20 Justice Department employees involved in former Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigations into the former president. Tirrell had reportedly approved Smith's receipt of $140,000 in pro bono legal fees from the firm Covington & Burling before his resignation. It is unclear whether Tirrell's firing is related. Pam Bondi abruptly fired the director of the Justice Department's ethics office on July 11 as career prosecutors quit the agency in droves (AFP via Getty Images) Shortly after taking office, the president dismissed the government's top ethics watchdog, sparking a legal battle that reached the Supreme Court. That independent Office of Government Ethics would regularly consult with Tirrell's team. Tirrell's sudden firing also 'shines a bright spotlight back on her own glaring ethical conflicts and how she's handled major DOJ decisions involving her former clients, including the government of Qatar and Pfizer, according to Jon Golinger with democratic advocacy group Public Citizen. 'The question this drastic firing raises is: are there even worse ethics problems Bondi is trying to hide?' Career prosecutors are also quitting the agency in droves since Trump's election. More than 100 lawyers at the Justice Department's federal programs bench, which defends the president's policy actions in court, have left their positions in recent months. Roughly 250 attorneys at the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division — accounting for 70 percent of the lawyers there – also quit the agency within the first few months of the Trump administration. The latest shakeups at the Justice Department also arrive as the administration fumbles for answers about investigations into Jeffrey Epstein, as MAGA loyalists turn on the president, Bondi and other top law enforcement officials over the administration's failure to release more information about the sex offender and his alleged client list. The Justice Department last week said Epstein, who was facing charges of sex trafficking, did not leave behind such a list, though Bondi in February suggested it was on her desk. She later said she was referring to the overall case. But the Justice Department ultimately concluded that public disclosure of such materials would be inappropriate and remain under seal by a federal judge, frustrating the president's supporters and conspiracy theorists who have linked the Epstein case to allegations of a wider corruption and sex abuse scandal involving minors and powerful figures. The Independent has requested comment from the Justice Department.
The Independent
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Pam Bondi abruptly fires Justice Department's top ethics chief in four-sentence letter
Attorney General Pam Bondi has fired the ethics director at the Department of Justice in a four-sentence letter that misspells his name, marking the latest departure from the agency during a mass exodus of career prosecutors under Donald Trump's administration. A letter to 'Jospeh Tirrell' sent on July 11 and seen by The Independent notes his termination is 'effective immediately' but does not state a reason why he was abruptly fired. Tirrell, who had served as the director of the Justice Department's ethics office since 2023, was responsible for reviewing financial disclosures and other matters related to the attorney general's office and other top law enforcement officials. He led a team of roughly 30 people to ensure government lawyers and other officials adhered to ethical guidelines. 'My public service is not over, and my career as a federal civil servant is not finished,' he wrote on LinkedIn on Monday. 'I took the oath at 18 as a midshipman to 'support and defend the Constitution of the United States.' I have taken that oath at least five more times since then. That oath did not come with the caveat that I need only support the Constitution when it is easy or convenient.' Tirrell's firing follows Bondi's purge of roughly 20 Justice Department employees involved in former Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigations into the former president. Tirrell had reportedly approved Smith's receipt of $140,000 in pro bono legal fees from the firm Covington & Burling before his resignation. It is unclear whether Tirrell's firing is related. Shortly after taking office, the president dismissed the government's top ethics watchdog, sparking a legal battle that reached the Supreme Court. That independent Office of Government Ethics would regularly consult with Tirrell's team. Tirrell's sudden firing also 'shines a bright spotlight back on her own glaring ethical conflicts and how she's handled major DOJ decisions involving her former clients, including the government of Qatar and Pfizer, according to Jon Golinger with democratic advocacy group Public Citizen. 'The question this drastic firing raises is: are there even worse ethics problems Bondi is trying to hide?' Career prosecutors are also quitting the agency in droves since Trump's election. More than 100 lawyers at the Justice Department's federal programs bench, which defends the president's policy actions in court, have left their positions in recent months. Roughly 250 attorneys at the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division — accounting for 70 percent of the lawyers there – also quit the agency within the first few months of the Trump administration. The latest shakeups at the Justice Department also arrive as the administration fumbles for answers about investigations into Jeffrey Epstein, as MAGA loyalists turn on the president, Bondi and other top law enforcement officials over the administration's failure to release more information about the sex offender and his alleged client list. The Justice Department last week said Epstein, who was facing charges of sex trafficking, did not leave behind such a list, though Bondi in February suggested it was on her desk. She later said she was referring to the overall case. But the Justice Department ultimately concluded that public disclosure of such materials would be inappropriate and remain under seal by a federal judge, frustrating the president's supporters and conspiracy theorists who have linked the Epstein case to allegations of a wider corruption and sex abuse scandal involving minors and powerful figures.
Forbes
25-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Foresight & Insight: How Stacey Grigsby Became A Go-To Business Litigator
Illustration by Jaya Nicely for Forbes Stacey Grigsby Firm: Covington & Burling LLP Forbes Ranking: America's Best-in-State Lawyers 2025 Being a litigator has been a throughline of Stacey Grigsby's career, a skill set she's leveraged in high-profile government work, pro bono service, and a thriving private practice. Drawn to the pace of litigation early on, Grigsby says she relishes writing briefs and advocating for clients. After Yale Law School Grigsby served as a law clerk, worked at the DOJ, and was a partner at Boise, Schiller, Flexner before landing at Washington, DC-based Covington & Burling, where she currently co-chairs the Government Regulation practice—a position tailored to her unique expertise. In 2022, Grigsby left Covington to work as Deputy Counsel to President Biden in the White House Counsel's Office. In that role she advised the president and senior White House officials on civil rights and interagency consideration of regulatory, legislative and litigation issues, and was central to formulating the administration's strategies after the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs ruling on reproductive rights and the Students for Fair Admissions decision on affirmative action in higher education. 'The White House was a unique opportunity,' Grigsby says. 'I wasn't necessarily looking to leave Covington, but to have a portfolio dealing with some of the most interesting issues going on at that time was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.' Today, in her busy litigation practice, Grigsby utilizes that experience to represent clients across industries, often in government-facing litigation proceedings at the trial and appellate levels. She has delivered oral arguments in trial and appellate courts across the country, and is well-practiced at litigating cases involving the False Claims Act, the Contract Disputes Act, and matters involving unfair competition laws. Her background puts her in a unique position to understand client challenges during sensitive investigations. Grigsby says the keys to her approach are to keep the client front of mind and 'look around the corners' even when not in an active engagement, adding that relationship building is at the core of her work—whether with colleagues or clients—to provide the best legal services and achieve the best result. 'Show you understand their business and not just what's put in front of you,' Grigsby advises. 'That you're fully invested in the job and really care.' For the full list of America's Best-In-State Lawyers, click here. As with all Forbes lists, candidates do not pay any fee to be considered. For questions about this list, please contact lawyerlist [at]
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge extends block on Trump passport policy to all trans, nonbinary Americans
A federal judge on Tuesday extended an order blocking the Trump administration from enforcing a policy requiring identity documents to reflect an individual's sex 'at conception' to all transgender, nonbinary and intersex Americans who want to change the sex designation on their passports. A previous ruling, handed down in April, had ordered the State Department to allow only six trans and nonbinary plaintiffs named in a federal lawsuit to obtain passports with sex designations matching their gender identity while the case proceeds. The lawsuit, filed in February in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, argues the administration's policy 'is motivated by impermissible animus.' The plaintiffs' legal team at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of Massachusetts and the law firm Covington & Burling LLP asked the court in April to certify a class of people adversely affected by the passport policy and extend the preliminary injunction to those who are currently impacted or may be impacted in the future. Judge Julia E. Kobick, an appointee of former President Biden, granted that request on Tuesday. She wrote in her ruling that the six named plaintiffs and the new class of plaintiffs 'face the same injury: they cannot obtain a passport with a sex designation that aligns with their gender identity.' In granting the initial preliminary injunction in April, Kobick wrote that the federal government had failed 'to demonstrate that its actions are substantially related to an important governmental interest.' The State Department suspended processing applications from Americans seeking to update their passports with a new gender marker in January, shortly after President Trump signed an executive order proclaiming the U.S. recognizes only two sexes, male and female, and that those sexes 'are not changeable.' The order, which Trump signed during his first hours back in office, directs the departments of State and Homeland Security and the Office of Personnel Management to require government-issued identification documents, including passports, visas and Global Entry cards, to reflect an individual's sex at birth over their gender identity. The State Department previously allowed U.S. passport holders to self-select their sex designations, including an 'unspecified' gender marker denoted by the letter X. Kobick wrote in her ruling on Tuesday that passports are used not just for international travel but also for more common and mundane tasks such as filling out employment paperwork, opening a bank account or renting a car. 'Absent preliminary injunctive relief, these plaintiffs may effectively be forced to out themselves as transgender or non-binary every time they present their passport,' Kobick wrote, making them more vulnerable to discrimination, harassment and violence and increasing their experiences of anxiety and psychological distress. In a 2022 survey, 22 percent of transgender adults said they were verbally harassed, assaulted, asked to leave an establishment or denied services after they presented an identity document with a name or gender that did not match their gender presentation. In a statement, Jessie Rossman, legal director at the ACLU of Massachusetts, said Tuesday's ruling 'acknowledges the immediate and profound negative impact' of the Trump administration's policy. 'This decision is a critical victory against discrimination and for equal justice under the law,' said Li Nowlin-Sohl, senior staff attorney for the ACLU's LGBTQ & HIV Project. 'But it's also a historic win in the fight against this administration's efforts to drive transgender people out of public life. The State Department's policy is a baseless barrier for transgender, nonbinary, and intersex Americans and denies them the dignity we all deserve.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
