Memphis drew a lawsuit from advocates after a “blanket denial” of records requests about police use of force and drew an accusation that city leaders have made no real police reforms.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Stand for Children Tennessee filed a lawsuit against the city of Memphis Tuesday. The group said the city failed to answer a request for public records sent in May 2025. That request sought to review whether or not the Memphis Police Department (MPD) “has taken any steps to address misconduct and civil rights violations identified in the 2024 Department of Justice (DOJ) report.”
That scathing report began in the wake of the killing of Tyré Nichols by members of the (MPD’s) SCORPION Unit in January 2023. It came after an 18-month-long investigation of the MPD by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
The report found that MPD used excessive force; conducted unlawful stops, searches, and arrests; unlawfully discriminated against Black people; and unlawfully discriminated in their response to people with behavioral health disabilities.
The DOJ recommended the city enter a consent decree with the DOJ for oversight. However, that recommendation was canceled as Donald Trump began his second term in the White House.
At the time, Memphis Mayor Paul Young said the investigation was too quick and engaging in a consent decree was too costly, projecting a cost in the millions of dollars. He welcomed federal help but said taxpayers could not afford federal monitors.
Many outside city hall at the time worried the MPD should not be allowed to police themselves. They pointed back to the scathing DOJ report.
Since May, the ACLU has queried Memphis City Hall on progress made on unlawful policing tactics found in the report. The group queried six other local governments across the country with similar DOJ findings. MPD was the only department of the six to issue a blanket denial for public records.
“This lawsuit is necessary because the public deserves answers,” said Cardell Orrin, executive director of Stand for Children Tennessee. “The DOJ confirmed that MPD engaged in excessive force, racial profiling, and discriminatory policing. More than a year later, Memphians still don’t know whether those findings have been addressed.
The ACLU said city leaders have not made sufficient police reforms. Without access to public data, “the public has no meaningful way to assess whether the department has made any changes at all.”
The ACLU said it seeks routine records that departments are required to maintain under MPD policy. Specifically, the group wants use‑of‑force reports and field investigation memos.
Finally, the ACLU said the denial reflect a broader pattern of resistance from the city to comply with public records requests. Last year, the group said, a judge said the city willfully violated the Tennessee Public Records Act by “unlawfully denying records and imposing improper barriers to access, underscoring ongoing concerns about transparency.”