Former Atlanta Police Sgt. Willie Adams, a supervisor of the unconstitutional raid on the Atlanta Eagle, won an appeal in court today in his attempt to get his job back with the APD.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kelly Lee ruled in Adams' favor in his attempt to get back on the Atlanta police force where he was a 20-year veteran before being fired in the midst of the Eagle raid scandal. His firing was upheld in 2011 by the city's Civil Service Board and then appealed to court.
In a work session today, the Atlanta City Council's Public Safety Committee dropped the proposed banishment ordinance targeting prostitutes and decided to instead form a task force to study the root causes of sex work.
Proposed by Atlanta Police Chief George Turner, the "banishment ordinance" could bar convicted prostitutes from “areas of prostitution,” or even from the entire city after a second prostitution conviction.
Twenty-three gay and lesbian officers shared their personal stories of coming out in an "It Gets Better" video as part of a global movement to help young people struggling with their sexuality and gender identity.
The video was shown for the first time to the public Wednesday at the Phillip Rush Center.
The video includes an introduction by Chief George Turner, who says he is an LGBT ally and honored to support the "It Gets Better" project.
"All teenagers go through an awkward phase but it can be especially daunting if you are someone who is unsure of your sexuality and where your life may be headed. As a police force we will stand up for you, no one deserves to be bullied for any reason," Turner says.
The Atlanta Eagle is ready to party.
In April, the gay bar in Midtown celebrates its 25th anniversary with a barbecue, balloon drop and giveaways, as well as the annual Leather Pride event.
The entire month of April is also booked with numerous other parties each weekend, including the celebration of Richard Ramey and Robby Kelley owning the bar for 15 years and MondoHomo’s popular WigOut party and fundraiser.
A former Atlanta Police Department officer fired for lying during investigations into the unconstitutional raid on the Atlanta Eagle made a plea to the city's Civil Service Board to get his job back.
Cayenne Mayes, 34, a former member of the now disbanded APD's Red Dog Unit who was fired in July, testified to the city's Civil Service Review Board on Wednesday and said he did not intend to lie when he told the Atlanta Citizen Review Board in March 2010 he did not pat down or frisk any patrons in the gay Midtown bar when it was raided Sept. 10, 2009.
In May, however, during an APD Office of Professional Standards and the Greenberg Traurig investigation, Mayes admitted he did pat down at least three men during the raid. He was fired by APD Chief George Turner in July after the Greenberg Traurig and OPS reports were finished and made public, showing many officers violated the rights of the patrons in the Eagle as well as did not follow policies. As a result of the reports, six officers, including Mayes, were fired.