NAACP CHAPTER ANNOUNCES PLANS TO FILE SUIT DURING RALLY TULIA - The Amarillo chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People announced Monday its latest action against alleged civil rights violations in Swisher County. Chapter president Alphonso Vaughn said the chapter will file a complaint this week with the U.S. Department of Justice. The complaint is under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which governs municipalities. If the complaint is successful, federal funds could be withheld from Swisher County, Vaughn said. The announcement was made at a rally in Tulia at Swisher Electric Cooperative Inc. on Monday afternoon. The rally was the second in a week in conjunction with a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Amarillo on Sept. 29 by the Texas affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union. The lawsuit alleges that undercover agent Tom Coleman, Swisher County Sheriff Larry Stewart and District Attorney Terry McEachern conspired to violate the civil rights of local blacks. McEachern and Stewart have denied the allegations previously. Coleman was the lone officer who conducted the 18-month drug operation. The worth of Coleman's word was in dispute during the trial of a 24-year-old Tulia man who ultimately received a 60-year prison term. Although described by some as an excellent lawman, others challenged his character. Vaughn said Monday the Amarillo chapter will meet with the 47th District Attorney's office about possible perjured testimony by Coleman. Amarillo attorney Jeff Blackburn filed the Sept. 29 lawsuit on behalf of his client, Yul Bryant, a man who Blackburn said protested his innocence for seven months before the charge was dropped and he finally was released from jail. The lawsuit asks for $1 million in actual damages and $1 million in punitive damages from each of the three being sued. The Amarillo chapter of the NAACP will ask their national leaders to allow the chapter to join a lawsuit against Swisher County officials, president Alphonso Vaughn said previously. The Amarillo NAACP chapter conducted its own investigation into the drug cases, Vaughn said. The NAACP contacted Swisher County officials and examined court documents and trial transcripts.
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