Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Discrimination complaints have been filed with the U.S. Office of Civil Rights requesting an inquiry into alleged systemic, gender and race based, discriminatory practices utilized by the Erie County District Attorney John Flynn and his office.
These complaints filed come from the family of Tyler Lewis, who was stabbed and killed following a drug deal at the University at Buffalo campus last October.
According to a press release sent by Carolette Meadows, a representative and supporter of the Lewis family, these complaints were filed in response to evidence via a statement made by the DA during a press conference in March announcing a grand jury called for no charges. "Herein, Mr. Flynn exhibited a Freudian slip which caused him to confirm a certain amount of racial bias."
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"So, obviously this is a tragic situation, and our hearts go out to the family here. You know, it may seem that I'm a little miffed by... you know, being called a racist and being called incompetent and, you know, to a certain degree I am. But, I'm more upset about a young man dying. I'm more upset about the loss of life. But in this case, the loss of life was not criminal," said DA John Flynn on March 10th.
To Meadows and the family of Lewis, this was interpreted as the DA admitting to being biased.
"He didn't say to a certain extent I am miffed or I am upset. He said, 'People say that I am a racist or an incompetent and to a certain extent, I am. So that acknowledges a certain amount of racial bias. And I mean, that's okay, you can be racially biased. I think the majority of people have biases. But if you're going to be our DA, whatever your bias is, put it in your pocket when you're pursuing our kids for prosecution," Meadows said Wednesday.
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The Erie County District Attorney's office gave WBEN a written statement in response to the allegations and complaints:
“The video clip being circulated on social media is ridiculous, misleading and completely out of context. During a press conference, I expressed that I was upset by comments that accused me of being ‘racist and incompetent.’ It was my response to criticism I received for not divulging all of the facts about the tragic death of a Black college student to his family or the public until after our investigation was complete, which is a standard procedure. As I stated in the video, I was more distraught by the death of a young African American man than by these unfounded accusations of racism. I took an oath to be fair and just in my commitment to serve the people of Erie County. Everyone who has observed how I have operated over the past six years knows that I have no hatred or bias in my heart.”