Teen Beaten by Ku Klux Klan Awarded $2.5 mil by Jury
Posted: Saturday, November 15, 2008
by Avis Ward
GeoVi's Home for Pregnant Teens
The jury
found that the Imperial Klans of America and its founder wrongfully
targeted 16-year-old Jordan Gruver, an American citizen of Panamanian
and Native-American descent. The verdict included $1.5 million
in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages against
"Imperial Wizard" Ron Edwards. The law center said before the
verdict that a large damage award could break the Klan group, allowing
the teen and the law center to seize the group's assets, including its
headquarters, a 15-acre compound in Dawson Springs, Kentucky.
"We look forward to collecting every dime that we can for our client
and to putting the Imperial Klans of America out of business," said
SPLC founder and chief trial attorney Morris Dees, who tried the case.
Gruver, backed by the Southern Poverty Law Center, filed the personal
injury lawsuit last year seeking up to $6 million in damages from the
Imperial Klans of America and two of its leaders Edwards and "Grant
Titan" Jarred R. Hensley.
"The people of Meade County, Kentucky, have spoken loudly and clearly.
And what they've said is that ethnic violence has no place in our
society, that those who promote hate and violence will be held
accountable and made to pay a steep price," Dees said.
According
to testimony, three members of the Klan group confronted Gruver in July
2006 during a recruiting mission at the Meade County Fair in
Brandenberg, Kentucky. They taunted him with ethnic slurs, inaccurate
ones, spat on him and doused him with alcohol. Two of the men,
including Hensley, knocked Gruver to the ground and repeatedly struck
and kicked him.
"All I could see was a bunch of feet," Gruver, now 19, told the jury.
"As they were kicking me, I prayed to myself. I said, 'God, just please
let me go. Please let me make it home.' " When the blows stopped, Gruver had a broken jaw, broken left forearm, two cracked ribs and cuts and bruises.
He testified that he has suffered permanent nerve damage and
psychological trauma. He doesn't leave his house and rarely sleeps more
than two hours at a time because he has nightmares, CNN affiliate WLKY
reported.
Among the evidence the jury saw was a pair of red-laced, steel-toed boots. A police witness testified that Hensley wore the boots the night he and another Klansman attacked Gruver. Edwards acknowledged from the witness stand that the boots were the "weapon of choice" for skinheads and that the red laces carried special significance -- that "someone should shed blood for their race."
This is not the first time the Southern Poverty Law Center has taken a supremacist group to court and won. In 2000, for example, the center won a $6.3 million jury verdict that forced Aryan Nations leader Richard Butler to give up the group's Idaho compound. In 1987, a $7 million verdict in Mobile, Alabama, targeted the United Klans of America.
Can hatred be bankrupted? Yes, by the love of God!Among the evidence the jury saw was a pair of red-laced, steel-toed boots. A police witness testified that Hensley wore the boots the night he and another Klansman attacked Gruver. Edwards acknowledged from the witness stand that the boots were the "weapon of choice" for skinheads and that the red laces carried special significance -- that "someone should shed blood for their race."
This is not the first time the Southern Poverty Law Center has taken a supremacist group to court and won. In 2000, for example, the center won a $6.3 million jury verdict that forced Aryan Nations leader Richard Butler to give up the group's Idaho compound. In 1987, a $7 million verdict in Mobile, Alabama, targeted the United Klans of America.
Source: CNN and The Associated Press contributed to this article.
2008 by Avis Ward
This Article has been viewed 406 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (5 total)Avis,Well, how sick is this! No one should believe for a moment that racism is not still rearing its ugly head in America. The skin-heads have gained traction in many areas and overt racism could actually be exascerbated by the recent election of Barack Obama. I hope I am wrong and only the power of the purse strings and God can put these thugs out of business. Be well.James, it is sick, sad and shameful! I am inclined to feel anyone who denies the presence of racism in America is on the same team with the racists. Since I believe in giving the benefit of the doubt, either that or they are cocooned somewhere. Where? I've no idea. There have been reports that more threats on the life of any president-elect have been made against Obama than any other in history. One security expert said it's because of the "novelty" of it not his race. He's new to the position so this is to be expected. I merely shook my head in disbelief as I read that. I pray for everyone in harm's way, even when it rains. I just don't get it! Thanks, James. Hope you're enjoying the weekend.Avis,How ironic. Just after I commented on your article and read your response, I clicked on the news section of the MSNBC homepage and ... RACE THREATS, CRIMES MOUNT AFTER ELECTION. You might want to read or ignore. Wow!James, I think I'll ignore it. I will also add, racism isn't linear, it has tentacles. Blacks, Asians, Hispanics etc. are racist too, not just whites. Hatred knows no color boundaries and neither does ignorance or hell.
Wow! I am glad that the law has prevailed in this case and that justice has been served. It is hard to fathom this kind of evil existing in our world.Yes! By all means, bankrupt them!Thanks, Jennifer. I certainly understand your reaction. Take care.
In fact, I hope that they will be imprisoned as well. We should have zero tolerance for this kind of behaviour. It is not right to take liberalism so far, as to be tolerant of intolerance.Jennifer, they were imprisoned but released so soon, they were able to stand trial for this civil rights suit. They only got 2 years confinement. How about that for justice, eh?
I appreciate your comments. Thank you!They certainly deserved longer sentences. This was not just merely assault and battery, but it sounds as if the courts are punishing them financially, which suggests that they have also determined that this is more than just assault and battery.
Hi, Avis, I was drawn to read this due to your title. You brought excellent writing to an important news item. I probably would not have seen this except for your report. I hope the award not only helps the young man move forward but also sends strongest message possible to the guilty and that "organization." Your report provides rarer and rarer journalistic standards. Facts speak loudly. Thank you for writing this.Hi Jane, I know; the title is good and bad. It's good the teen was awarded this verdict and I share your hopes for him. Thank you for your comments, Jane. I can't help but agree with you, "facts speak loudly." I am glad you were drawn to read this article and I appreciate the kinds words.
Avis, good lady how sad this is still evident in this age. I saw a show concerning Dallas when Kennedy was shot and the south. Many will say all that has changed. In my opinion I suspect not as much as we like to think. There are places right here in Florida Northerners cannot drive through much less blacks and yet ,amy remain oblivious to it all. Here we are in mid America, Kentucky and we still have hate. Are there many good people sure, but lets be honest, we have a lot left to do. It is about time we embraced truth at all levels and for all races. It is about time we stopped talking about balck, white, red or yellow and started talking people. Perhaps this election, even though historic for blacks was also historic in that it demonstrated clear as a bell that it wasn't about people at all regardless of what the media make it out to be. When we get to be able to talk about works rather then race we will have come to the start of where we should be. With sincere best wishes, Robert.."When we get to be able to talk about works rather then race we will have come to the start of where we should be." Robert Melaccio, Sr.
Amen to that! I couldn't agree with you more, Robert. The Bible tells us it's not about our gender, race, denomination etc. but we are all one in Christ Jesus. I must confess that I, too am guilty of asking about the race or denomination or gender of the person when I hear a story. I don't believe in my heart I am being prejudicial about the reports but I'd like for none of those to enter my mind. I'll quickly ask for forgiveness because as you said, "it is time we embraced truth at all levels and for all races [everyone]."
Thank you for reading and leaving your words of wisdom on this extremely sad occurrence. I appreciate you. Kindest and best regards, Avis.
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