Key facts
- Comedians Eric André and Clayton English have settled a lawsuit against Clayton County police.
- The lawsuit challenged a police program at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
- Clayton County has confirmed the program has been ended.
- The settlement includes a $30,000 payment from the county.
- The county will require officers to use body-worn cameras and undergo constitutional limits training.
Comedians Eric André and Clayton English have reached a settlement in their lawsuit challenging a police program at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The lawsuit, filed in October 2022, alleged that Clayton County police engaged in racial profiling and coercive searches of passengers, particularly Black passengers, as they were boarding flights.
Lawyers for the comedians announced the settlement Tuesday, stating that the county has publicly confirmed the program's termination. Both André and English described being singled out due to their race and subjected to questioning about drugs in front of other travelers during separate incidents. André characterized the experience as "dehumanizing and demoralizing."
The program's stated aim was to combat drug trafficking. However, the lawsuit contended that drugs were rarely found, criminal charges were seldom filed, and the seized cash provided a financial benefit to the police department. André expressed satisfaction that the county has ended the program and is implementing measures to prevent future abuses.
According to minutes from a county Board of Commissioners meeting on August 4, the county authorized a $30,000 payment, split equally between the two comedians. Additionally, the county has agreed to mandate the use of body-worn cameras for police officers assigned to the airport and to provide training on constitutional limitations for police encounters in airport settings.
Police records cited in the lawsuit indicated that between August 30, 2020, and April 30, 2021, there were 402 stops at jet bridges. Race was recorded for 378 of these stops, with 56% of those passengers being Black, and people of color accounting for 68% of all stops. These 402 stops led to three reported drug seizures: approximately 10 grams of drugs from one passenger, 26 grams of suspected THC gummies from another, and six prescription pills without a prescription from a third. Only the first and third individuals were charged. The stops also resulted in the seizure of over $1 million in cash and money orders from 25 passengers, most of whom were allowed to continue their travel. Only the two passengers found with drugs were charged. Eight of the 25 passengers who had cash seized challenged the seizures, and Clayton County police settled these cases, returning a significant portion of the funds.