Boston man files lawsuit seeking to bankrupt white supremacist group he says assaulted him

Mark Pratt, Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — A Black teacher and musician who says members of a white nationalist hate group punched, kicked and beat him with metal shields during a march through Boston last year sued the organization on Tuesday.

Charles Murrell III, of Boston, was in the area of the Boston Public Library to play his saxophone on July 2, 2022, when he was surrounded by members of the Patriot Front and assaulted in a “coordinated, brutal, and racially motivated attack,” according to the lawsuit filed in federal court in Boston.

Murrell was taken by ambulance to the hospital for treatment of lacerations, some of which required stitches, the suit says.

“As a result of this beating, Mr. Murrell sustained physical injuries to his face, head, and hand, all of which required medical attention. Mr. Murrell also continues to suffer significant emotional distress to this day as a result of the incident,” the suit says. […]

Murrell, who has a background teaching special education, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Monday that the lawsuit is about holding Patriot Front accountable, helping his own healing process and preventing anything similar from happening to children of color, like those he teaches.

“Because I am a teacher, because I come from special education, I am filing this suit so that even if one of them has a safer sidewalk to walk on, the work that I am doing will have been very much worth it,” Murrell said.

Learn more about the lawsuit in the original article.

Read about a former white supremacist, like Murrell’s attackers, who changed for the better in this virtual exhibit.

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