Chattanooga, TN. – Attorney Ben Crump, founder of Ben Crump Law, is known for his work on high profile civil rights cases, including the Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd cases, now has a connection to Chattanooga though a documentary he produced entitled, “How to Sue the Klan”.
The film features the heroic efforts of five African American women who were brutally attacked by the Ku Klux Klan members while waiting on a cab in downtown Chattanooga in 1980. Despite two Klans men being acquitted by an all-white jury in criminal court and the third only serving 6 months, the women were determined to get justice. Led by Randolph McLaughlin, Attorney at New York’s Center for Constitutional Rights, the women took the case to federal civil court utilizing the 1871 Ku Klux Klan Enforcement Act, a Reconstruction era law designed to curb racial violence. This case set a nationwide legal precedent, allowing more cases to be tried in civil courts seeking damages, weakening the Klan’s power and influence over time.
Attorneys Ben Crump and Randolph McLaughlin along with the one remaining survivor of The Chattanooga Five are planning to attend the premiere screening of “How to Sue the Klan” on Friday, February 9. The event will begin at 6 pm and it will be held at The Walker Theatre located at 339 McCallie Avenue. Following the screening, a panel discussion will be hosted. While the program is free and open to the public, tickets are required. For more information about “How to Sue the Klan and to access complimentary tickets, visit www.thecivilcase.com