LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – It took CCSD almost a year to release police body-camera video of an incident between district police officers and students near Durango High in 2023.
But the district only released the videos after the ACLU sued and a judge ordered CCSD to provide the videos.
On Tuesday, District Court Judge Danielle “Pieper” Chio ruled the ACLU was the prevailing party in the lawsuit and CCSD must pay the ACLU attorney fees and costs for its efforts to obtain the video, as well as written documents connected to the incident.
“Hold your government accountable. If they were to make less foolish decisions about litigating matters like these and turned over public records, we wouldn’t have had to litigate this period,” said Athar Haseebullah, executive director of ACLU of Nevada.
One student ended being taken to the ground while others were handcuffed during the incident. Students involved, who FOX5 talked to, say they did nothing wrong.
CCSD said officers were checking out reports of a gun near campus. No gun was found. CCSD did not reprimand any district officers for their actions that day.
On Tuesday, the judge also said CCSD does not have to turn over other items of the investigative file, which she has said are confidential. The ACLU said it may appeal the ruling.
“We are pleased the judge acknowledged the confidentiality of the officer’s internal affairs investigatory file (IA file). We are reviewing our legal options on the other matters,” CCSD said in a statement to FOX5.
CCSD did not respond specifically to the more than $36,000 ruling against it. The ACLU says it may file a civil lawsuit over the incident. It represents two students on scene that day.
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