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For over 50 years, the SPLC has fought for victims of hate violence friend, Since our founding over 50 years ago, the SPLC has been at the forefront of the fight to prevent hate violence. As the premier organization working to hold hate groups and extremists accountable in court, we’ve achieved some tremendous victories over the years. Our first focus is always on preventing these heinous crimes, but when they do occur, we are committed to ensuring victims see the justice they deserve. In fact, we pioneered the legal strategy of suing hate groups in civil court for hate crimes committed by their members. As the rate of reported hate crimes rises, we must have all tools at our disposal to continue leading the fight against hate groups in court. Because of your support, the following cases litigated by the SPLC’s lawyers secured justice for victims of a hate crime or hate-motivated attack. Tanya Gersh v. Andrew Anglin Andrew Anglin, the founder of a major neo-Nazi website, orchestrated a harassment campaign that relentlessly terrorized Tanya Gersh, a Jewish woman, and her family with antisemitic threats and messages. The SPLC, along with its Montana co-counsel, filed suit in federal court on Gersh’s behalf, winning a more than $14 million judgment against the neo-Nazi leader. Jouhari/Horton v. United Klans of America/Frankhouser The late Bonnie Jouhari was a fair housing specialist who helped victims of discrimination and founded a Hate Crimes Task Force. She endured endless harassment and terrorism at her home and her job by neo-Nazis and Klansmen. She and her daughter fled their home in fear for their lives. The SPLC won a $1 million judgment against Ryan Wilson and his neo-Nazi group, ALPHA HQ, the host of the threatening website. Roy Frankhouser, the grand dragon of the United Klans of America, agreed to attend 80 hours of sensitivity training, perform 1,000 hours of community service, broadcast fair housing public service announcements on his public access television show, "White Forum," and pay monetary damages and penalties to Jouhari and her daughter. Macedonia v. Christian Knights of the Ku Klux Klan On the evening of June 21, 1995, members of the Christian Knights burned a 100-year-old Black Baptist church to the ground. A South Carolina jury awarded the largest judgment ever ($37.8 million, later reduced by a judge to $21.5 million) against a hate group. The judgment in this case transformed the Christian Knights from one of the most active Klan groups in the nation to a defunct organization. Mansfield v. Church of the Creator A follower of the white supremacist group Church of the Creator (COTC) murdered Black sailor Harold Mansfield in 1991 and subsequently received an award from COTC leaders. The SPLC sued and won a $1 million judgment against the COTC. A subsequent lawsuit recovered additional compensation for Mansfield’s family. Donald v. United Klans of America Nineteen-year-old Michael Donald was walking to a store in 1981 when two members of the United Klans of America abducted the Black youth, beat him, cut his throat and hung his body from a tree on a residential street in Mobile, Alabama. The two Klansmen responsible for the killing were arrested and convicted. We filed suit in civil court on behalf of Donald’s family to hold the Klan group and its leadership responsible for the murder. We proved a conspiracy in the case, and an all-white jury awarded a historic $7 million verdict against the group. The verdict marked the end of the United Klans, the same group that had beaten the Freedom Riders in 1961, murdered civil rights worker Viola Liuzzo in 1965 and bombed Birmingham’s 16th Street Baptist Church in 1963. Vietnamese Fisherman’s Association v. Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Klansmen tried to destroy Vietnamese-Americans' fishing businesses by burning their boats and threatening their lives. Klan Grand Dragon Louis Beam held rallies and cross burnings in the Galveston Bay area. Armed and hooded Klansmen sailed a boat with a figure hung in effigy and a small cannon on board, then docked near the home of a Vietnamese man and terrorized his family. The SPLC’s lawsuit stopped the Klan's terror campaign and shut down its paramilitary training bases. Brown v. Invisible Empire, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan More than 100 members of the Invisible Empire Klan, armed with bats, ax handles and guns, clashed with a group of peaceful civil rights marchers in Decatur, Alabama. Two marchers were shot in the head and face. Though the FBI investigated and could not find enough evidence of a conspiracy to charge the Klansmen, the SPLC filed a civil suit against the Invisible Empire and numerous Klansmen. SPLC investigators uncovered evidence that persuaded the FBI to reopen the case, and nine Klansmen were eventually convicted of criminal charges. The SPLC’s lawsuit resulted in a settlement requiring Klansmen to pay damages, perform community service and refrain from white supremacist activity. These seven cases are just a sample of our work to hold hate groups accountable for their attempts to intimidate, threaten and commit violence against vulnerable people. But, years after their conclusion, they continue to guide our vision for justice. No matter how successful our prevention initiatives are, we cannot entirely eliminate hate, prejudice or extremism. However, we remain committed to enforcing a culture of consequences for those who choose to carry out hate-motivated violence. Thank you for your commitment to building a world free of white supremacy with equity and justice for all. Sincerely, Your friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center
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