Clayton County Police settle lawsuit over Atlanta airport drug program

Comedians Eric André and Clayton English have reached a settlement in a lawsuit challenging a drug interdiction program operated by the Clayton County Police Department at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The lawsuit, filed in 2022, alleged that the program utilized racial profiling and coercive searches against travelers, particularly Black passengers, as they prepared to board flights.

As part of the settlement, the Clayton County Board of Commissioners authorized a $30,000 payment, split equally between the two entertainers. While the county did not admit fault or liability, it has publicly confirmed that the controversial program has been ended and will not be reactivated.

New protocols will be implemented to prevent similar incidents, including requirements for officers assigned to the airport to use body-worn cameras and undergo training regarding constitutional limits on police encounters. The Policing Project at NYU School of Law, which represented the comedians, noted that data indicated Black passengers were disproportionately targeted by the program.