The Proud Boys Inc., an organization that supports former President Trump and harbors white supremacist views, has been ordered by a D.C. Associate Superior Court judge to pay over $1 million for a racially motivated attack on the Metropolitan AME Church in Northwest that occurred in December 2020.
The ruling was announced on June 30. The judge, Neal Kravitz, held that members of the Proud Boys engaged in an unlawful conspiracy and violated federal and state civil rights laws, including the Ku Klux Klan Act and the District’s hate crime statutes.
Kravitz based his decision on evidence that Proud Boys members trespassed onto the church’s property and destroyed a Black Lives Matter sign. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, along with the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, represented the church. During the proceedings, the church provided documentation of the attack while the Proud Boys failed to show up in court. The court entered default judgments against the Proud Boys.
Damon Hewitt, The Lawyers’ Committee president and executive director, praised Kravitz’s ruling.
“The attack against Metropolitan A.M.E. was an attempt to silence the congregation’s voice and its support for Black life, dignity, and safety,” Hewitt said. “It represents just the latest chapter in a long history of white supremacist violence targeting Black houses of worship. These attacks are meant to intimidate and create fear, and this lawsuit’s aim was to hold those who engage in such action accountable. The Lawyers’ Committee was proud to answer the call in this case and honored to represent the historic Black institution, which sits just blocks from our own office and the area near the White House known as Black Lives Matter Plaza. We will continue to stand up against white supremacy and send the message that this type of conduct will not be tolerated — not here, not anywhere.”
The Rev. William H. Lamar IV serves as the senior pastor of the 183-year-old church. He said the church has a tradition of standing up against bigotry and hate.
“Our courage and determination to fight back in response to the 2020 attack on our church is a beacon of hope for our community and the ruling showed us what collective vision and voice can achieve,” said Lamar. “Our church is rooted in the theological vision that humankind is one family. Institutions like ours must continue to lead the way toward a new narrative and white supremacist institutions must be an erased element.”
Kravitz barred the Proud Boys from coming near the church or making threats or defamatory remarks against it for five years.
