Petition to Mayor Williams on Tyra Hunter case

A Petition to The Honorable Anthony Williams
Mayor, District of Columbia

Regarding Civil Action No. 96-1338
Margie Hunter v. District of Columbia

Whereas: Transgendered citizen Tyra Hunter died on August 7, 1995, after discriminatory and negligent treatment by DC government employees following an auto accident; and

Whereas: Nearly four years later, Tyra still has not received justice due to a challenge by the District's attorneys against the $2.9 million jury award to Tyra's mother Margie in her civil suit; and

Whereas: The District never disciplined the Fire Department employee who insulted Tyra and withdrew emergency medical care, despite statements from four witnesses against him — in fact, the District spent taxpayer dollars defending him in court; and

Whereas: The District insults all sexual and other minorities by arguing that Tyra was used to being called names, so she could not have been too upset at being taunted with insults by a DC employee as she lay bleeding in the street; and

Whereas: The District threatens the rights of everyone by arguing that citizens are not entitled to take the District to court for violations of the DC Human Rights Law; and

Whereas: The District's attorneys in the Office of the Corporation Counsel are not some unaccountable high priesthood, but civil servants answerable to you as our elected Mayor; and

Whereas: You as Mayor have the authority and responsibility to ensure that the District's attorneys serve the interests of justice and respect for all persons — interests clearly violated in this case;

Therefore, We, the undersigned, urge you as Mayor to instruct the Corporation Counsel to withdraw its challenge of the $2.9 million jury award in Hunter, end its outrageous assault against the Human Rights Law, and pay the jury's verdict to Mrs. Hunter without further delay.

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