Earlier this month, comedian and actor Eric Andre launched a racial profiling lawsuit against Clayton County police after he says he was racially profiled and questioned at an airport.
The incident happened in April 2021, when the comedian was traveling back from shooting for The Righteous Gems. He boarded a flight in Charleston, South Carolina that took him to Atlanta, Georgia, where he was supposed to catch a connecting flight to Los Angeles.
However, when trying to catch the connecting flight in Atlanta, Andre says he was stopped by two plainclothes Clayton County officers. A Delta boarding agent had already scanned his Business Class ticket, and he was on his way through the jet bridge.
The actor says the officers badgered him with questions, asking if he was carrying or trying to sell or buy drugs. They also questioned if he was high at the time.
They also asked to search his luggage. When Eric asked if he had to comply, he was told no. So, he refused and boarded the plane.
Eric is joined in the lawsuit by Clayton English, who’s also a Black comedian. On a separate instance, Clayton was search by police officers while making his way on a Delt jet bridge. They both describe the experience as “degrading.”
The lawsuit argues " target selections are unsupported by any legitimate cause or suspicion. There are no written policies or procedures governing the jet bridge program."
Of the case, Eric has also said, “I didn’t see any other Black people boarding at the time. It’s hard to believe I was selected at ‘random’ for questioning.”
Forbes reports that the officers were part of the Clayton County Narcotics Unit-Airport Investigations Group, formed to fight drug trafficking. Between April 2020 to April 2021, they conducted searches on more than 400 travelers, half of whom were Black.
The Clayton County police department has responded to the lawsuit, calling the encounter with Eric a “consensual encounter.” They said the comedian offered to have his luggage search, but the officers declined.
However, Eric has denied their claims, saying, "I did NOT volunteer to a search and I did not volunteer to talk. You guys flashed your badge and detained me with no probable cause except for racism. This is JIM CROW RACISM."
Eric and Clayton are seeking unspecific damages. The case remains ongoing.
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