They Put Handcuffs on a Black Coach at an HBCU—Now the Lawsuit Is Coming
- Ghetto Philosopher
- Apr 5
- 5 min read
There are stories that trend.
And then there are stories people quietly hope you forget.
This is one of those stories.
And let’s be clear from the start:This didn’t just happen at an HBCU—this is what happens when Black institutions adopt the same policing mindset we’ve been fighting for generations.
Back in January, in a moment that should have shaken every corner of Black America, Benjy Taylor—a respected head coach at Tuskegee University—was handcuffed and escorted off the court following a game against Morehouse College.
Let that sit.
Not detained quietly.
Not de-escalated respectfully.
Handcuffed. On the court. In front of his players. His peers. His community.
At an HBCU.
This wasn’t just excessive.
It was symbolic.
Because when a Black head coach gets handcuffed on a basketball court at a Black institution, the message is bigger than the moment:
Authority will be enforced—even if dignity has to be sacrificed to do it.
Now It’s Official: This Is Headed to Court
The silence is over.
A lawsuit is being filed against Morehouse College and campus police officers R. Clark and M. Roberson. And this isn’t happening in the shadows—it’s being brought straight into the public eye:
📍 Location: The Westin Atlanta Airport
📅 Date: Friday, March 20
⏰ Time: 11:00 AM
This is not just legal action.
This is a public reckoning.
Let’s stop hiding behind the phrase “campus police.”
Campus police didn’t act independently—they acted within a system that Morehouse College created, trained, and empowered.
Policies don’t enforce themselves. Culture doesn’t build itself.
This is institutional.
And this is where the story changes.
This is no longer an “incident.”
This is now a civil rights case—with discovery, depositions, and public exposure on the table.
Which means the question is no longer what happened—
It’s what else comes out.
Meet the Legal Firepower: Gerald Griggs Steps In
At the center of this legal push is Gerald Griggs—and when Griggs shows up, understand what that signals.
This has moved from misunderstanding to potential civil rights violation.
A graduate of North Carolina Central University and a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Griggs represents a specific kind of pressure:
Inside the culture. Fluent in the system. And willing to challenge both.
Griggs isn’t just another attorney filing paperwork. He’s a frontline operator in modern civil rights litigation.
Track Record Snapshot:
Civil Rights Leadership: Prominent voice within the NAACP, often at the center of police misconduct and racial injustice cases
High-Profile Advocacy: Regularly represents victims of excessive force, unlawful detention, and civil liberties violations
Media Presence: Known for shaping public narratives—not just legal outcomes
Strategic Litigation: Uses lawsuits as both legal tools and public pressure campaigns
Translation?
This case is not going to quietly move through the courts.
Griggs has built a reputation on:
Taking on police misconduct and excessive force cases
Representing families and individuals in high-visibility civil rights battles
Using media as a tool to apply pressure—not just report outcomes
Translation: This case is not going quiet.
It’s going to live in the headlines.
And it’s designed that way.
This Ain’t Just About One Coach
Let’s be clear: this is bigger than Benjy Taylor.
Because the real question is:
How does this happen at a Black institution?
We’ve spent generations fighting external systems—segregation, discrimination, over-policing.
But what happens when those same dynamics show up inside our own spaces?
At an HBCU, no less.
Let’s kill the myth right now:
Respectability didn’t save him.Credentials didn’t protect him.Being a Black leader in a Black space didn’t stop the cuffs.
That’s the part we don’t like to talk about.
Because we’ve been taught that proximity to Black excellence equals safety.
It doesn’t. Accountability does.
The Hard Conversation: Internal Accountability vs. External Oppression
We can walk and chew gum at the same time.
Yes—America has a long, documented history of criminalizing Black bodies.
But that truth does not excuse what happened here.
Because when a Black coach is:
Publicly restrained
Humiliated in front of students
Treated like a threat instead of a leader
…by a Black institution’s police force, we have to ask:
What are we replicating?
And who are we protecting?
This is where respectability politics gets exposed.
Because too often, we believe:
“If you’re in a Black institution, you’re safe.”
But safety isn’t about proximity to Blackness.
It’s about power, policy, and accountability.
And here’s the uncomfortable truth:
We are loud when injustice comes from the outside.We get quiet when it comes from within.
We call it “handling it internally.”
But too often, that just means protecting institutions over people.
HBCUs at a Crossroads
Morehouse College is not just any school.
It’s a pillar. A legacy institution. A symbol of Black excellence.
Which is exactly why this moment matters more.
Because institutions like Morehouse don’t just educate—they set the tone for what Black leadership looks like.
And right now, the question is:
Will they address this head-on… or manage it quietly and move on?
Because the old playbook is familiar:
Delay
Reframe the narrative
Shift blame
Hope the outrage fades
But this time?
There’s a lawsuit.
There’s a press conference.
There’s a legal team built for visibility.
Because this isn’t just about a response—it’s about risk.
Reputation among Black families
Trust among alumni and donors
Credibility as a space for Black development and protection
Morehouse College isn’t just managing an incident anymore—
It’s managing its legacy in real time.
The Press Conference: Watch This Closely
And if you think this is just about one coach, you’re missing it.
If a head coach can be handcuffed on the court, what do you think happens to the average Black professional when conflict shows up?
This isn’t isolated.
It’s instructive.
This isn’t just procedural—it’s strategic.
Expect:
Narrative framing from the legal team
Public articulation of civil rights violations
Potential release of new details or footage
A direct challenge to Morehouse College leadership
Because once this hits the public stage,the story shifts from “incident” to “pattern and accountability.”
Let’s be honest—
If this had happened at a predominantly white institution, we would have already called it exactly what it is.
Where We Go From Here
This is the moment where the community decides:
Do we treat this like content?
Or do we treat this like a line in the sand?
Because if we don’t demand accountability within our own institutions, we lose credibility when we demand it from others.
Call to Action: Don’t Let This Disappear
Here’s the reality:
If this story dies, it won’t be because it wasn’t serious—it’ll be because we let it die.
Because accountability doesn’t happen by accident.
It happens when people refuse to look away.
Here’s what needs to happen:
Share this story — keep it circulating
Demand a response from Morehouse College
Follow the lawsuit — track the facts as they come out
Watch the press conference — don’t rely on secondhand narratives
Because silence is how stories like this get rewritten.
And if we’re serious about protecting Black leadership, then we have to be just as loud about internal accountability as we are about external injustice.
This isn’t over.
It’s just getting started.
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