Metropolitan A.M.E. Church vs. Proud Boys International LLC
On Dec. 12, 2020, the Proud Boys, a violent all-male extremist group with ties to white nationalism attacked and vandalized the Metropolitan A.M.E. Church, a historically Black church. Proud Boys members climbed over a fence to reach the Churches property and destroyed a large Black Lives Matter sign.
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and co-counsel filed a lawsuit on Jan. 4, 2021 against the Proud Boys and their leader Enrique Tarrio for vandalizing the church. The lawsuit alleges violation of D.C.’s hate crimes law, violation of federal law protecting religious property, conspiracy, trespass, and property destruction. The case was filed in Superior Court for the District of Columbia.
The Proud Boys and Enrique Tarrio both failed to show up and defend themselves in court, and a motion for default was filed on Tuesday, Feb. 16.