LOS ANGELES - A heap of civil rights violation accusations was raked over the City of Palm Springs and several law enforcement officers in federal court.
The complaint was filed by plaintiff Phillip Brooks on April 28 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
The defendants include the City of Palm Springs, Palm Springs Police Department Officers Jacob Valdivia, Officer Gonzalez, Officer S. Sandoval, the Palm Springs Renaissance Hotel owner HHC TRS Portsmouth LLC and Renaissance Hotel employee Michael Whited.
Brooks purchased tickets to visit the Splash House pool party music festival at the hotel in June of 2019. While there, an incident led Brooks to believe that Caucasian guests were treated better than Black guests such as himself.
The plaintiff says that the hotel and defendant Whited retaliated against his racism complaints by calling the police and falsely reporting that he was intoxicated in the lobby.
The defendant officers then arrived at the hotel and allegedly used excessive force to place Brooks under arrest, then made false statements in their reports to cover up their alleged use of excessive force and racial remarks.
The defendants are charged with unreasonable seizure, excessive force, equal protection clause violation, First Amendment retaliation, municipal liability for unlawful custom and practice, Bane Act violation, Ralph Act violation, Unruh Act violation, assault and battery, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, breach of contract, false arrest and malicious prosecution.
Brooks is represented by PLC Law Group APC of Los Angeles.