Latest news with #HarmeetK.Dhillon
Epoch Times
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
DOJ Sues California Coffee Shop for Allegedly Refusing to Serve Jews
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against Jerusalem Coffee House in Oakland, California, and its owner, alleging that the shop had discriminated against Jewish customers, the agency said in a June 9 'It is illegal, intolerable, and reprehensible for any American business open to the public to refuse to serve Jewish customers,' said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
DOJ threatens California public schools with legal action over participation of trans athletes
The U.S. Department of Justice has warned California's public schools that permitting transgender students to participate in girls' sports could result in legal consequences. Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general in the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, stated in a letter Monday that a bylaw from the California Interscholastic Federation, a state organization that oversees high school sports, permitting student-athletes to compete in CIF activities that align with their gender identity violates the 14th Amendment. 'The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex. Knowingly depriving female students of athletic opportunities and benefits on the basis of their sex would constitute unconstitutional sex discrimination under the Equal Protection Clause,' the letter said. In the letter, Dhillon stated that the public school district must certify in writing by June 9 that the CIF will not implement the bylaw, 'to ensure compliance and avoid legal liability.' 'Let's be clear: sending a letter does not change the law,' California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said in a statement. 'The DOJ's letter to school districts does not announce any new federal law, and state law on this issue has remained unchanged since 2013. California state law protects all students' access to participate in athletics in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity. We will continue to follow the law and ensure the safety of all of our athletes.' The latest back and forth between federal and state officials comes after President Donald Trump against 16-year-old AB Hernandez, a junior at Jurupa Valley High School, who won the girls' long jump and triple jump events at the California Interscholastic Federation's Southern Section Masters on May 24, qualifying for the state championships that will take place May 30-31, The Hill reported. Hernandez went on to win two gold medals and a silver medal at the state track and field finals on Saturday. In February, Trump signed an executive order that states that 'it is the policy of the United States to oppose male competitive participation in women's sports' and threatens to 'rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities.' California is one of 22 states that have laws requiring transgender students to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity. The law was signed by former Gov. Jerry Brown in 2013. According to Gov. Gavin Newsom's office, out of the 5.8 million students in the state's K-12 public school system, the number of active transgender student-athletes is estimated to be in the single digits. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Why the Justice Department just sued a small Idaho town
The small town of Troy, Idaho, is facing a major legal problem. Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against it based on religious freedom concerns. The Justice Department alleges that town leaders are discriminating against a local evangelical church by unnecessarily preventing it from holding worship services in Troy's business district. Troy officials say they're enforcing zoning law, not engaging in discrimination. 'The fact that it was this church had zero to do with the denial,' said Todd Richardson, Troy city attorney, to the Yakima Herald-Republic. The religious freedom lawsuit filed by the Justice Department centers on Christ Church, an evangelical Christian house of worship that holds services in both Troy and Moscow, Idaho. In late 2022, a leader at Christ Church sought permission from Troy to hold worship services at a former bank building downtown. The congregation needed a conditional use permit because the building was zoned for business, not religious events. According to the Justice Department lawsuit, the city regularly allows noncommercial activity in its downtown business district, as well as noncommercial redevelopment. But many residents spoke against Christ Church's plan, including some who complained about the congregation's beliefs and practices, and Troy leaders denied the conditional use permit. 'In its denial of the application, the city said the 'great majority of the city residents' opposed approving the permit,' the Yakima Herald-Republic reported. The City Council reaffirmed the denial on appeal. In the new lawsuit, the Justice Department argues that Troy violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, or RLUIPA, when it denied the conditional use permit. The denial stemmed from animus toward the congregation, not legitimate governmental concerns, the lawsuit alleges. 'RLUIPA unequivocally forbids local governments from deciding zoning matters based on their dislike of certain religious groups,' said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division in a statement. The lawsuit also accuses Troy of treating faith-based requests for zoning law adjustments differently than secular ones. 'The City Code, on its face, and in the C-1 zoning district where the Subject Property is located, treats religious assembly uses on less than equal terms with nonreligious assemblies or institutions,' the suit says. In an interview with Fox News, Richardson, the Troy city attorney, rejected the Justice Department's claims and criticized it for using 'bullying tactics.' 'The case isn't about religion, he said, but about the city preserving the two-block downtown area as a commercial district and resisting the influx of as many as 15% of its population gathering at one location and putting a 'strain on the city's limited resources,'' Fox News reported. Although Christ Church is a small congregation in a rural area of Idaho, this month is not the first time it has made national news. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the church's members were arrested for violating Moscow's mask mandate while singing hymns and protesting the city's pandemic-related public health rules. President Donald Trump defended their protest in a social media post at the time, according to Idaho News 6.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
DOJ sues North Carolina over voter rolls
The Department of Justice (DOJ) sued the State of North Carolina and the North Carolina State Board of Elections on Tuesday for allegedly failing to maintain an accurate voter list. The Trump administration claims the Tar Heel State is in violation of the 2002 Help America Vote Act (HAVA) after board officials provided a statewide voter registration form that did not make clear whether an applicant must provide a driver's license number, or if the applicant does not have a driver's license, the last four digits of the applicant's social security number. If an applicant has neither, the law says the state must assign a special identifying number. The lawsuit says, "a significant number of North Carolina voters who did not provide a driver's license number or the last four digits of a social security number using that voter registration form were nonetheless registered by their election officials, in violation of HAVA" and the defendants "only took limited actions to prevent further violations." Federal Judge Orders Nc To Certify Supreme Court Election Results With Democrat Leading "Upon information and belief there currently are a significant number of voters that do not have a driver's license number, last four digits of a social security number, or any other identifying number, as required by Section 303 of HAVA, listed in North Carolina's state voter registration file," according to the filing in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. "Those violations will continue absent relief from this Court." "Accurate voter registration rolls are critical to ensure that elections in North Carolina are conducted fairly, accurately, and without fraud," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said in a statement. "The Department of Justice will not hesitate to file suit against jurisdictions that maintain inaccurate voter registration rolls in violation of federal voting laws." Read On The Fox News App A previous edition of the state elections board, in which Democrats held a majority, acknowledged the problem in late 2023 after a voter complained. The board updated the voter registration form but declined to contact people who had registered to vote since 2004 in time for the 2024 elections so they could fill in the missing numbers. According to the lawsuit, the board indicated that such information would be accumulated on an ad hoc basis as voters appeared at polling places. It is unclear exactly how many voters' records still lack identifying numbers. Lawyers from the DOJ Civil Rights Division want a judge to give the state 30 days to develop a plan to contact voters with records that do not comply with federal law, obtain an identifying number for each and add that to the electronic list. The state and national GOP last year sued over the lack of identifying numbers, which they estimated could have affected 225,000 registrants. However, federal judges declined to make changes so close to the general election. The lawsuit also referred to President Donald Trump's executive order on elections in March to "guard against illegal voting, unlawful discrimination, and other forms of fraud, error, or suspicion." Federal Judge Kicks Battle Over Nc Supreme Court Election Back To State Court After Election Day, formal protests were filed by Jefferson Griffin, a Republican candidate for a seat on the state Supreme Court, who challenged about 65,500 ballots. He contended that about 60,000 were cast by registrants whose records failed to contain one of the two identifying numbers. The state election board said earlier this year at least roughly half of those voters actually did provide an identifying number. Griffin also challenged another 5,500 ballots belonging to overseas military personnel and their family members who were not required to attach a copy of their photo IDs, as well those in a category of "Never Residents," or U.S. citizens with family ties to North Carolina who have never lived in the United States. A state appeals court criticized the board's handling of the registration records but ultimately ruled the challenged ballots had to remain in the final election tally. Six months passed during what amounted to be the nation's last contested 2024 election. Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs was ultimately certified as the winner over Griffin by 734 votes out of over 5.5 million ballots cast. Griffin conceded earlier this month but said he did not fully agree with the court's analysis. This month, the state election board's composition changed to reflect a 2024 law approved by the GOP-dominated General Assembly that shifted the board's appointment powers from the now-Democratic governor to Republican State Auditor Dave Boliek. A previous 3-2 Democratic majority is now a 3-2 Republican majority. The new iteration of the board sounds open to embracing the Justice Department's wishes. Executive Director Sam Hayes said late Tuesday the lawsuit was being reviewed, "but the failure to collect the information required by HAVA has been well documented." "Rest assured that I am committed to bringing North Carolina into compliance with federal law," he said, according to The Associated Press. Local elections start in September. The Associated Press contributed to this article source: DOJ sues North Carolina over voter rolls
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Department of Justice suing North Carolina for ‘inaccurate voter list'
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The State of North Carolina and its State Board of Elections are on the receiving end of a lawsuit claiming the state has failed to 'maintain an accurate voter list' in accordance with federal law. On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it had filed the lawsuit, which claims the state has directly violated the mandate laid out in the Help America Vote Act of 2002. The violation points to a registration form that the DOJ claims 'did not require a voter to provide identifying information such as a driver's license or last four digits of a social security number.' Once the forms were completed, voters were added to the state voter registration roll and some remain on it without the required information, the federal agency said. 'Accurate voter registration rolls are critical to ensure that elections in North Carolina are conducted fairly, accurately, and without fraud,' said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. 'The Department of Justice will not hesitate to file suit against jurisdictions that maintain inaccurate voter registration rolls in violation of federal voting laws.' The USDOJ also referenced Executive Order 14248 signed by President Donald Trump on March 25 which was titled 'Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections.' The DOJ says that order is about guarding against illegal voting, unlawful discrimination, and other forms of fraud, error, or suspicion. CBS 17 reached out for a response from the North Carolina State Board of Elections. Its executive director, Sam Hayes provided the following statement on the lawsuit: 'I was only recently notified of this action by the United States Department of Justice. We are still reviewing the complaint, but the failure to collect the information required by HAVA has been well documented. Rest assured that I am committed to bringing North Carolina into compliance with federal law.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
