Former leaders of the Boulder County NAACP branch are asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the national organization, arguing the court lacks jurisdiction over the case and that the claims against them have no legal merit.
Last year, the national NAACP sued 13 former leaders of the Boulder County branch, accusing them of dissolving the branch without authorization from the national board. The national organization also alleged the defendants attempted to liquidate roughly $102,000 in branch assets and misused donor and member lists to spread misleading information.
The lawsuit escalated a high-profile power struggle between the national office and leaders of the Boulder branch. Several of the defendants have been outspoken critics of city leadership, particularly the appointment of Police Chief Steve Redfearn in 2024. Their monthslong public campaign contributed to a chain of events that included a complaint from the city manager, an attempt by the executive committee to dissolve the branch, the national NAACP’s suspension of all executive committee members and, ultimately, the lawsuit against them…