Legal Cases

SCOTUS

Neighborhood Schools

Bullying Lawsuits

A small time sole practicing local attorney, Ted Gordon who is a cross between Atticus Finch and Matlock, has some of most controversial legal cases in Kentucky. To date Mr. Gordon has over 30 horrendous bullying lawsuits, the most of any attorney in the country and was the only one able to take restraining orders against the students in the schools.

Meredith vs JCPS

The most important Supreme Court case since Brown vs Topeka, Kansas.  One of four major cases that term.  One of two that was volatile.

Every broadcast -- local and network -- radio and television – every print outlet covered this story.  I fielded calls from Asia to England and worked with the top network reporters and producers to develop their stories.

This case started in Kentucky Federal court in 1999; I was hired in 2002 and immediately implemented a multi-faceted media agenda:

1. First, get control of the story and then to continue reinforcing the message.  Before I was hired, JCPS had done a great job of spreading their points to the public via the news media.  The problem was that their ‘facts’ had holes and they had a spokesperson that they could not control. I changed the message so that benefited my client.  Example: when JCPS would talk about how the schools would be “re-segregated”, I discussed that we live in a diverse community, not just white/black – worse was that Blacks students were being bused, longer, farther and to the inferior schools.

2. Educating and offering support for the media.  Besides providing media friendly background such as a timeline, I also translated the legalese and prepared the reporters for what to expect from the legal system and then, the US Supreme Court.  My materials were media ready.  News clippings showed how the media used my background information.

3. Determine what media coverage was warranted.  The attorney was not on a media binge, not running for office – he had a practice to run, and to get ready for the US Supreme Court. Additional his client did not want publicity, as this became a safety factor for her and her small child. Only very selected media were able to interview her, with me there to stop any questions and control the interview length.

4. Prepare the attorney and his client for media coverage.  What questions specific reporters were going to ask – and how they were going to answer those questions.  I also coached the attorney on how to talk to the public and to reporters.

5. Protect that client and the attorney from coverage – and to correct inaccurate media coverage.  When reporters call me with Meredith’s address that the JCPS illegally gave out, (and incorrectly), I firmly stopped all contact (including reporters who were shifting through a previous house mail box).  When the spokesperson from JCPS would publicly give wrong information, I would send out a corrected alert.

 US Supreme Court Ruling Press Conference

At the June 28, 2007 press conference at Central High School when the SCOTUS ruling came down. Deborah Stallworth, one of the original leaders who came to Mr. Gordon to take on this case, thanks Crystal Meredith for her courage in taking on the Jefferson County School system. The lawsuit that eventually went to the US Supreme Court, started at this specific school with their assignment program that excluded Black children from attending.

Neighborhood Schools Lawsuit
Press conference on how was JCPS busing small children hours from home.

Because young children (kindergarten ages) were to be a pivotal focus of this press conference, I wanted to keep them from becoming frightened with all the news media that was to be present.  While the cameras and press were setting up, I had the children and their parents in a separated room where I supplied the children with “gift bags” that contained coloring supplies and a teddy bear.  I told them what to expect and that I would be right there for them to see. And I was in the tan hat on the floor.

Bullying lawsuits

To date over 30 lawsuits have been filed since 2011, each more violent than the last.  Mr. Gordon was the first in the country to file-- and get-- a restraining order against a student within a school setting.  In another first ever case, Gordon has filed  a federal lawsuit on behalf of six parents and guardians of children, accusing Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) of forcing children into unsafe schools and failing to protect them once their complaints were known.