Oklahoma Supreme Court Dismisses Tulsa Race Massacre Reparations Lawsuit

The Oklahoma Supreme Court has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit seeking damages from the City of Tulsa for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The lawsuit, filed in 2020 on behalf of survivors Lessie Benningfield Randle, Viola Fletcher, and Hughes Van Ellis, argued that the city and other entities have continued to exploit the Greenwood area since the massacre. The plaintiffs sought damages under the state's public nuisance law and demanded a detailed accounting of property and wealth lost or stolen, the construction of a hospital in north Tulsa, and the creation of a victims compensation fund.

In a ruling on June 12, the court upheld the decision of Tulsa County District Judge Caroline Wall, who dismissed the case in July 2023. The court determined that the grievances, while legitimate, do not fall within the scope of Oklahoma's public nuisance statute. The court stated that the alleged wrongdoing is not covered under the public nuisance law, and therefore, Judge Wall did not err in her dismissal of the case with prejudice.