PHILADELPHIA (AP) — An attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union says he finds it perplexing that a federal appeals court has rejected a former college student’s lawsuit over his detention at an airport after he was found to be carrying Arabic language flashcards.
Nicholas George says the Transportation Security Administration and FBI agents violated his constitutional rights during the August 2009 stop at Philadelphia International Airport.
A district judge rejected the agents’ assertion of immunity. But the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed Tuesday and said the agents were justified in detaining him briefly to investigate.
ACLU attorney Benjamin Wizner says the decision could be appealed to the full 3rd Circuit or to the U.S. Supreme Court and didn’t affect legal action against Philadelphia police or the federal government.
The Times Record Sustaining Sponsor
We believe a community must be informed to thrive. bowdoin.edu
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less