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Settlement reached in 2020 Graham March to the Polls lawsuit

The 2020 March to the Polls rally in Graham ended with officers pepper-spraying people. The two sides settled a federal lawsuit almost two years later.

GRAHAM, N.C. — For almost two years, two Alamance County advocacy groups and multiple participants in a 2020 march to the polls battled law enforcement agencies in federal court. The legal fight stemmed from a rally leading up to the 2020 election. The demonstration led to law enforcement officers pepper-spraying marchers. The rally organizers filed suit against the Alamance County Sheriff's Office and the Graham Police Department.

After months of litigation and negotiation, the two sides came to an agreement: a $336,900 settlement.

On one side, the plaintiffs: Justice for the Next Generation, Alamance Alliance for Justice, 13 adult rally participants and four juvenile rally participants. Each will receive $17,731 as part of the settlement.

The Alamance County Sheriff's Office will pay out $16,450. The City of Graham, in accordance with its police department, will pay out $174,450.

The two sides filed their agreement in May 2022. A federal court judge approved the settlement on June 14.

It's important to note that the settlement does not act as an admission of guilt from either party.

The court documents read in part, "the parties disagree on nearly all of the key facts concerning [the] demonstration".

The advocacy groups and march participants claim, "Defendants use disproportionate and unjustified force that harmed them, prevented them from exercising their First Amendment rights, and resulted in may of the Plaintiffs being unable to participate in early voting."

The law enforcement agencies counter, "Defendants deny these allegations and assert defenses for qualified immunity and public officers' immunity."

As a result of the settlement, all parties are released of any and all claims against them. 

The lawsuit initially had many more plaintiffs, accusing law enforcement of mistreatment during the March to the Polls. A group of them reached a separate settlement in May 2021.

At the time, Reverend Gregory Drumwright, one of many plaintiffs in the case, said he would not settle. Drumwright was among the 19 parties who signed off on the June 14 agreement, effectively ending the case.

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