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Fast Money & Foreign Objects
Deaf Woman Gets $750K Settlement Because NYPD Refused Her Requests For Interpreter
BY JEN CHUNG IN NEWS ON OCT 28, 2015 5:30 PM
Diana Williams
New York City has agreed to give a deaf Staten Island woman $750,000 after she was arrested by the police and repeatedly refused a sign language interpreter. However, the city is not admitting that it violated Diana Williams' civil rights.
Williams and her husband were arrested on September 11th, 2011, after an apparent fight with her tenant (the couple had evicted the tenant for non-payment of rent, and then the tenant allegedly retaliated by calling the police). Williams says that her repeated requests for a sign language interpreter were ignored.
The Staten Island Advance reports, "She then tried to communicate by wiping dirt off a police car to form a message as officers handcuffed her, but was mocked, alleges her civil complaint. Distraught, Williams contends she suffered two panic attacks, which resulted in hospital visits, while being held in custody overnight."
Williams was released the next day, and the charges were dropped.
In August, a judge ruled that Williams's lawsuit against the NYPD could proceed. The city's Law Department said, "It was in the city's best interest to resolve this litigation."
A statement from Williams' law firm said, "Deaf individuals have rights, and they do not have to tolerate discrimination and injustices of any kind. It is a sad reality that deaf individuals continue to experience blatant discrimination on a routine basis. Ms. Williams hopes that the settlement will send a message to all law enforcement agencies across the country that they should adopt proper policies and procedures to ensure full communication access for deaf individuals."
Deaf Woman Gets $750K Settlement Because NYPD Refused Her Requests For Interpreter
BY JEN CHUNG IN NEWS ON OCT 28, 2015 5:30 PM
Diana Williams
New York City has agreed to give a deaf Staten Island woman $750,000 after she was arrested by the police and repeatedly refused a sign language interpreter. However, the city is not admitting that it violated Diana Williams' civil rights.
Williams and her husband were arrested on September 11th, 2011, after an apparent fight with her tenant (the couple had evicted the tenant for non-payment of rent, and then the tenant allegedly retaliated by calling the police). Williams says that her repeated requests for a sign language interpreter were ignored.
The Staten Island Advance reports, "She then tried to communicate by wiping dirt off a police car to form a message as officers handcuffed her, but was mocked, alleges her civil complaint. Distraught, Williams contends she suffered two panic attacks, which resulted in hospital visits, while being held in custody overnight."
Williams was released the next day, and the charges were dropped.
In August, a judge ruled that Williams's lawsuit against the NYPD could proceed. The city's Law Department said, "It was in the city's best interest to resolve this litigation."
A statement from Williams' law firm said, "Deaf individuals have rights, and they do not have to tolerate discrimination and injustices of any kind. It is a sad reality that deaf individuals continue to experience blatant discrimination on a routine basis. Ms. Williams hopes that the settlement will send a message to all law enforcement agencies across the country that they should adopt proper policies and procedures to ensure full communication access for deaf individuals."
Deaf Woman Gets $750K Settlement Because NYPD Refused Her Requests For Interpreter
system is garbage
im not denigrating what she went through, im just stating a fact