The Oklahoma Supreme Court sided with the City of Tulsa in a reparations lawsuit related to the Tulsa Race Massacre.
Survivors of the massacre sued the City of Tulsa and others for reparations. Among the plaintiffs were the last two survivors of the massacre, Mother Lessie Benningfield Randle and Mother Viola Ford Fletcher.
The case asked for property reparations in place of money, claiming there exists over 1,500 properties that were and still are affected by the massacre and that those need to be given back to the community.
District Judge Caroline Wall dismissed the suit, saying the plaintiffs grievances “do not fall within the scope of (Oklahoma’s) public nuisance statute” and the allegations “do not support a claim for the equitable doctrine of unjust enrichment.”
FOX23 reached out to the City of Tulsa, which released a statement:
“The City of Tulsa respects the court’s decision and affirms the significance of the work the City continues to do in the North Tulsa and Greenwood communities. Through economic development and policy projects, the 1921 Graves Investigation, and a renewed community vision for the Kirkpatrick Heights & Greenwood Master Plan, the City remains committed to working with residents and providing resources to support the North Tulsa and Greenwood communities.”
FOX23 has also reached out to Damario Solomon-Simmons, civil rights attorney who represented the survivors, for comment.