We Won: Justice for Black Community Leader
Friends,
We just won a major victory for Jere Eaton, a Black community leader in Stamford, Connecticut.
In 2020, Officer Steven Estabrook rammed Jere—lifting her by her bra strap, driving her backward through the air, and throwing her onto the pavement—while she was peacefully standing at the edge of a protest. She was there because the police had asked her to help keep the peace.
The district court gave Estabrook qualified immunity. But last week, the Second Circuit reversed, ruling that a jury should hear the case because, on this record, a reasonable jury could find that Estabrook was “gratuitously plowing into the first people he encountered.”
This ruling matters far beyond this case. Qualified immunity is designed to shut down civil-rights lawsuits before they ever reach a jury. By defeating it here, we’ve made clear that courts must not shield police misconduct when the facts suggest gratuitous violence—especially against those, like Jere, who are helping their communities.
This victory means Jere will finally get her day in court, and that’s thanks to Public Accountability—and to you, our supporters, who make our work possible.
If you enjoyed this newsletter, please consider sending it to a friend. And if you think our work is important, you should know that we run entirely on the support of people like you. Whether it’s $10 or $100, your contributions help us safeguard the constitutional rights of all. So please, consider investing in our work—
Thanks for reading,
Athul K. Acharya
Founder & Executive Director
Public Accountability
