LOS ANGELES - FEB 6: NAACP Emblem at the 46th NAACP Image Awards Arrivals at a Pasadena Convention Center on February 6, 2015 in Pasadena, CA (Photo credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock)
The national NAACP organization is taking a local branch to court over allegations that members overstepped their authority by trying to dissolve the branch and spreading misinformation.
In the lawsuit, the NAACP accused 13 former members of the Boulder, Colorado, chapter of filing articles of dissolution with the Colorado Secretary of State's Office twice after the national office told them not to do so. It also accuses the former members of breaching their fiduciary duty by attempting to liquidate assets like $77,000 from a bank account and $25,000 in Google stock.
The legal action is the culmination of a months-long power struggle between the two entities.
In April, Boulder County members said they were dissolving the local branch in protest of alleged "retaliation" from Boulder city leaders. The national office claimed the local branch lacked the authority to do so. It also appointed an administrator to oversee the branch and prevent the members from making what it called “unsubstantiated and inflammatory statements” about Boulder's elected officials.
"For the past several months, Defendants have engaged in a campaign of misinformation and disparagement against the NAACP that has harmed the organization's reputation and, on information and belief, financially," the lawsuit reads in part. "Defendants’ unlawful behavior is ongoing and continues to threaten and harm the NAACP and its members."
The lawsuit also comes at a time when the NAACP is embroiled in multiple legal battles. The organization has filed lawsuits against Elon Musk's xAI for allegedly polluting the air in South Memphis, Tennessee, and has filed multiple lawsuits against the Trump administration over its anti-diversity policies.