Social justice group led by Jay-Z sues for release of Kansas City, Kansas, police files

Alleging a longstanding pattern of unchecked police misconduct, a philanthropic organization led by rapper Jay-Z is suing the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, in pursuit of records related to specific complaints made against officers and other investigative files.

Team Roc, a social justice arm of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Wyandotte County District Court. Partnering with Team Roc is the Midwest Innocence Project, a nonprofit that offers legal services to those wrongfully convicted of serious crimes.

The organizations allege the Unified Government failed to turn over documents in line with the Kansas Open Records Act, or KORA. Further, the local government is accused of using “obstructionist tactics to stonewall, delay and avoid” disclosures that the groups contend should be public.

“As the adage goes, sunlight is the best disinfectant,” lawyers wrote in a petition filed Tuesday. “The best and, indeed, only way to restore the public trust is to bring to light the full extent of the varied, pernicious misconduct by members of the KCKPD, as well as the KCKPD’s institutional failure and/or inability to address and rectify misconduct among its ranks.”

Spokespersons for the Unified Government and Kansas City, Kansas, Police declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Team Roc and the Midwest Innocence Project filed the records request in November 2023, according to the lawsuit. The aim was to “shed necessary light on widespread abuses and misconduct,” allowing the identification of “root problems” and promoting reform.

The organizations asked for a broad range of formal or informal complaints made against any investigative division members in KCKPD dating back to 2013. Also requested were any complaints without any date limitation for 30 specific former officers, including former Police Chief Terry Ziegler, as well as any investigative documents produced through investigations led by the FBI or Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

A copy of the request included as a filed court exhibit identifies 16 separate requests for the production of records. Other general documents sought were training manuals, reports made to a state police certification board and a list of every employee who worked for the police department since 1970.

The lawsuit points to concerns long raised by community activists and a 1990s report created by the FBI concerning crimes and misconduct by officers. Several activist groups have called for the Justice Department to open a pattern or practice investigation of KCKPD.

One focal point the lawyers reference is the case of Roger Golubski, a former Kansas City, Kansas, detective accused of rampant and serious crimes spanning decades. The retired cop faces two federal indictments related to his conduct as an officer, including allegations of rape and sexual exploitation of two women. That case is set for a trial to being Dec. 2.

Federal prosecutors allege Golubski wielded his badge as a shield in a way that allowed him to terrorize Black communities in Kansas City, Kansas. In a separate conspiracy case, the former detective is also accused of protecting an underage sex-trafficking ring run by a known drug kingpin.

Golubksi also was at the center of a murder investigation that ended with Lamonte McIntyre, a Kansas City, Kansas, man jailed as a teenager, spending 23 years behind bars before his exoneration. The Unified Government paid $12.5 million to settle a lawsuit in 2022 that accused Golubski of framing McIntyre because his mother rejected the detective’s sexual advances.

Other records sought by Team Roc and Midwest Innocence Project concern deaths of persons held in custody of KCKPD or in the Wyandotte County jail. The lawsuit describes “barest-of-barebones documents” received in response to that request.

In all, Roc Nation and Midwest Innocence Project say the Unified Government has released 225 documents, most of which are “merely personnel locators” that show officer assignments and shifts. Others outline the department’s policies and procedures.

The lawsuit seeks a court order that declares the Unified Government did not comply with KORA, returns monies paid for records and releases unfulfilled parts of the request.

Diana Diaz, Team Roc’s managing director, said in a statement Tuesday, “We have to set a precedent that transparency and accountability are non-negotiable.”

“For the past year, we’ve been pushing for documents from the government and have been continuously met with non-compliance,” Diaz said. “It’s unacceptable – getting access to those materials is critical to exposing the corruption, reforming local policies, and helping the local community heal.”