Deaf mom who was roughed up by officer during arrest ‘for not listening’ awarded $1.2M
Andrea “Dre” Hollingsworth, a Nevada mother, has been awarded a $1.2 million settlement. The payment resolves a lawsuit against the North Las Vegas Police Department and an officer, Michael Rose, which alleged an unlawful and abusive arrest.
Hollingsworth’s lawsuit claimed violations of her Fourth and 14th Amendment rights, as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act. The 40-year-old, who was born deaf, communicates mostly through sign language, reading lips, and written communication.
She announced the settlement on her Facebook page, writing, “It’s overrrrr! 4.5 years fought. NLVPD yall better never disrespect my Deaf and hard-of-hearing community again.”
According to Atlanta Blackstar, Rose’s actions, as detailed in the federal lawsuit, turned a simple inquiry into a traumatic ordeal for Hollingsworth and her daughters. Disregarding the family’s rights, Rose violently pulled Hollingsworth, a deaf mother, from her vehicle, the lawsuit states.
He then shoved her to the ground and handcuffed her hands, her primary means of communication behind her back, according to the suit. This unnecessary use of force occurred right in front of her minor children, who cried in horror and pleaded with Rose to stop, the lawsuit adds.
The lawsuit stated that the defendants’ discrimination and blatant disregard for Hollingsworth’s rights resulted in the trauma inflicted upon her children.
“Defendants’ failure to provide Ms. Hollingsworth with any effective means of communication, and their insistence on using her minor children as interpreters caused Ms. Hollingsworth to suffer physical and emotional harm, and her daughters to experience emotional distress.”
The incident occurred on April 7, 2021, after police responded to a call alleging Hollingsworth was stalking a woman. However, Hollingsworth’s daughters stated they were attempting to collect $200 in rent from the woman, after they moved out of the woman’s apartment.
Footage shows Hollingsworth, who is hearing impaired, repeatedly asking Rose for an explanation, unaware of the reason for the confrontation, but he insists she sit down on the curb first. Rose was wearing a neck gaiter over his mouth because the incident took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, making it impossible to read his lips.
Rose told a confused Hollingsworth, “Sit down or I will sit you down,” before forcing her down and handcuffing her, the video shows. Her two 11-year-old twin daughters are seen crying.
Rose orders her crying children, “One of you guys need to talk some sense into her.”
Once handcuffed, Hollingsworth questions the officer, asking “why?”
The officer, apparently unaware of her deafness, replied, “Why? Because you’re not listening.” Furthermore, Rose claimed to a supervisor over his car radio that he removed her from the vehicle because she became violent; however, the video evidence contradicts this assertion.
“And she gets out her phone and starts filming and is overly dramatic,” he stated. “And I say, ‘OK, that’s fine, I’m recording too but I need to get some information.’”
“She’s like, ‘nope,’ and pushes my hand … but out of the car.”
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Hollingsworth was released from custody without charges, despite the officer’s attempts to criminalize her. Since then, Rose has been promoted to sergeant.
As part of the settlement, the North Las Vegas Police Department is also required to provide mandatory training to officers on interacting with deaf individuals.
“Ms. Hollingsworth’s constitutional harm would have been avoided if Defendant North Las Vegas had enacted adequate policies and/or adequate training and supervision,” the claim stated.
“No member of the public should be subjected to force and trauma because a police officer refuses to communicate with them; both federal statutory law and the United States Constitution protect citizens against the conduct at issue in this lawsuit.”
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