Press Release: Standing Up for Equal Protection: NJAC Sues Raleigh Police After Antisemitic Rally Violations

Moore Square Park, Raleigh, NC. Photo Credit RaleighNC.gov

The National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC) announced that it has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit, Gluck et al. v. Raleigh Police Department et al., in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. The suit alleges that officers of the Raleigh Police Department violated the constitutional rights of four Jewish residents during an antisemitic, anti-Israel rally held at Moore Square Park in Raleigh on May 13, 2023. The complaint seeks damages and injunctive relief for violations of the First, Second, and Fourteenth Amendments, brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, as well as for violations of the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, 18 U.S.C. § 926C (commonly known as HR 218), which authorizes qualified retired law enforcement officers to carry firearms nationwide. Plaintiffs are retired police officer Andrew Gluck, Dr. Amy Rosenthal, Lorraine Meehan, and Joshua Ravitch.

According to the complaint, the plaintiffs — elderly Jewish residents, including several retirees with health conditions — peacefully assembled at the public park wearing shirts bearing the message “#EndJewHatred” and holding signs supportive of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. They did so in response to a “Nakba Day” rally that called for the destruction of Israel. The lawsuit alleges that members of the anti-Israel crowd hurled antisemitic slurs, including “child killers” and “F-ing Zionists,” and physically assaulted the Jewish demonstrators, pushing and punching several of them. Despite clear acts of violence, Raleigh Police officers who were present allegedly stood by and refused to intervene. When 71-year-old Mr. Gluck, a retired police officer with thirty years of service, was violently thrown to the ground by a much younger assailant, the police approached only after the attack had already occurred. Rather than assisting the victims, they confiscated Mr. Gluck’s lawfully carried firearm and issued him a criminal citation for unlawful possession, citing a statute that by its own terms exempts qualified retired officers such as Mr. Gluck under North Carolina General Statutes §§ 14-269(b)(4b) and 14-277.2(c). The police further ordered the Jewish demonstrators to leave the park while permitting the hostile anti-Israel group to remain, asserting that the latter group held a permit—a claim later confirmed to be false.

The complaint details that a day after the incident, counsel for Mr. Gluck wrote to Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson, explaining that under both federal and state law Mr. Gluck’s firearm possession was lawful and demanding an apology, the return of his weapon, and an investigation into the officers’ conduct. The next day, the Raleigh Police Department’s legal counsel conceded in writing that Mr. Gluck had been in lawful possession of his firearm and that the citation was improper. Nevertheless, the department retained his firearm for nearly four months, and to date has not released the findings of the internal investigation that was purportedly initiated.

The lawsuit alleges that the defendants’ actions constituted malicious prosecution and unreasonable seizure in violation of the Fourth Amendment, retaliation for protected expression in violation of the First Amendment, deprivation of rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment and HR 218, suppression of protected speech through a so-called “heckler’s veto,” and selective prosecution in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The plaintiffs further seek disclosure of all police body-camera footage from the incident, which the Raleigh Police Department has withheld despite formal requests.

In announcing the suit, NJAC Director Mark Goldfeder stated, “This case exposes a deeply troubling instance where law enforcement officers—sworn to protect the public—chose to stand idle while Jewish citizens were attacked and then punished the victims for exercising their constitutional rights. When police refuse to enforce the law equally, they erode public trust and violate the very Constitution they swore to uphold. Our clients deserve justice, accountability, and assurance that antisemitic violence will not be tolerated in North Carolina.” Goldfeder added, “This is not merely a local issue. It reflects a growing national crisis of antisemitic hostility and selective enforcement. The Constitution protects Jewish Americans the same as everyone else, and we intend to ensure that promise is kept.”

The plaintiffs seek compensatory and punitive damages under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a declaratory judgment recognizing the illegality of the Raleigh Police Department’s actions, mandatory training for officers on First Amendment protections, LEOSA compliance, and nondiscrimination, as well as public release of the internal investigation results and all related body-camera footage. The case, Gluck, Meehan, Rosenthal, and Ravitch v. Raleigh Police Department et al., has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina by the Gideon Law Group and the National Jewish Advocacy Center, with attorneys Miles Landon Terry and Mark Goldfeder serving as counsel of record.

Press inquiries may be directed to the National Jewish Advocacy Center at press@njaclaw.org.