DOVER, Del. – Delaware State University has filed a complaint with the Department of Justice, asking for an external investigation into the April traffic stop and subsequent search of personal items on its women’s lacrosse team bus as the team was traveling in Georgia.
On April 20th, Deputies with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office stopped the team bus, citing it had been illegally driving in the left-hand lane. Upon stopping the bus, body camera footage shows deputies, along with a K-9 unit begin to investigate the bus, which contained mostly African American student athletes and coaches.
Deputies ended up searching the team bus as well as personal items but nothing was found.
In a five-page letter to the DOJ, DSU claims deputies violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bars which discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.
The letter says deputies were wrong in their initial stop in which they claimed the bus driver was illegally driving in the left-hand lane. DSU says Georgia law exempts busses from that specific law that was cited by deputies.
The letter also points to body camera footage it says is evidence that deputies showed immediate bias once they saw who was on the bus. In one part of the video, a deputy can be heard saying “There’s a bunch of dang school girls on that bus…probably some weed.”
DSU argues deputies had no right to keep the bus stopped for as long as it did, saying there was no real indication illicit drugs would be found on the bus. In the end, not written warning or ticket was issued.
DSU is asking for an external investigation, citing it’s lack of faith in the fairness of any internal investigation. Liberty County Sheriff William Bowman has previously gone on record saying he does not feel his deputies were wrong in their decision to stop and search the team bus.
The full letter from DSU to the DOJ can be found here.
