JAY-Z‘s philanthropic and social justice division of Roc Nation, Team Roc, has filed a lawsuit against the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department and the city’s government for what they say is “stonewalling” their investigation into wrongful convictions in the county.
In documents filed on Tuesday (November 19), Team Roc says KCKPD has failed to comply with a public records request made under the Kansas Open Records Act in November 2023. The group alleges that the department has withheld documents related to claims of abuse and misconduct by officers, despite paying $2,200 in fees for access. Of the 225 documents provided, Team Roc claims they mostly consist of unrelated materials like personnel and training records.
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The lawsuit reads: “Kansas City residents have suffered enormously as a result of KCKPD abuses. Some have been framed for crimes they did not commit; some have been coerced into providing false testimony; some have been sexually assaulted; some have endured brutal beatings; and some have even been killed. Rather than promoting a culture of transparency and accountability, the KCKPD has a long history of turning a blind eye to, at best, and even covering up, if not worse, abusive and/or corrupt conduct by its officers.”
The lawsuit highlights a pattern of alleged misconduct within the KCKPD, including accusations of framing individuals, coercing false testimony, sexual assault, brutal violence, and even killings. Team Roc argues the department has fostered a culture of secrecy and cover-ups instead of accountability and transparency.
“When good faith efforts are met with bad faith tactics, the fight for transparency continues in court. Truth deserves no less. The people of Kansas City, Kansas, deserve no less,” Team Roc wrote on their Instagram account when announcing the filing.
Team Roc’s efforts to gain information about the department’s alleged misconduct date all the way back to 2021, when they sued the KCKPD for access to records that would shed light on complaints filed against members of KCKPD’s investigative division, including documents related to the training and supervision of officers.
Team Roc attorney Alex Spiro said at the time that Kansas City Police provided some information through the Kansas Open Records Act, but the documents were “not sufficient.”
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“Because of the [Kansas] Public Records Act that allows interested parties to look at various states and government documents, we’re allowed to see certain files and how the government handled certain issues,” he said. “The government has attempted to block our access to those files, and so we’re suing to see what they don’t want us to see.”
