4 things to know about Kiah Morris resignation
(relatively short article so I posted it all for complete context, also see link at the bottom)
April McCullum and Jess Aloe, Burlington Free Press Published 7:00 a.m. ET Jan. 2, 2019
BENNINGTON — A legislator's decision to end her re-election campaign, and then resign her seat, brought widespread attention to a quiet corner of Vermont -- and raised questions about racism in the state.
Rep. Ruqaiyah "Kiah" Morris, Vermont's only female African-American lawmaker, has described racially-charged threats and harassment as contributing to her decision to step away from elected office only 10 days after winning the Democratic primary in August.
The Burlington Free Press conducted multiple interviews and examined public records to look into the events that led up to her resignation.
Here are some key takeaways from the investigation:
There was a cumulative effect
Over the two years between the first tweet and her decision to resign, Morris and her husband would reach out to law enforcement at least 16 times, though not all incidents involved the same people.
No arrests have been made. Morris has said she is seeking legal remedies to the harm caused.
Harassment vs. free speech
The case raised questions about Vermont's ability to handle cases that walk a fine line between threatening or harassing behavior and free speech.
Morris began working on hate crimes legislation before leaving the Statehouse, work that grew out of her situation. She hopes that work will be continued.
But others, including the Bennington County prosecutor, worry that new laws could infringe on First Amendment rights.
Bennington Police struggled with racial bias
Between 2016 and 2018, Bennington police, tasked with protecting Morris and her family, faced a series of controversies about the department's handling of racial bias.
Chief Paul Doucette dismissed these findings, culminating in an ongoing federal civil rights case that is looking at, in part, his leadership of the department.
Statehouse impact
Morris said the harassment she experienced sparked a "fire" for working on legislation and speaking out more strongly about racial justice.
That fire led her to transfer to the Judiciary Committee for her second term and work on several high-profile pieces of legislation, like a resolution in support of Black Lives Matter that led to a contentious floor debate and an ethnic studies bill.
https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/politics/government/2019/01/02/4-things-know-kiah-morris-resignation/2343438002/
