State Supreme Court hears case against Kinston, accusations of discrimination

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCT) — The North Carolina Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday in a case where a group of Black residents claim discrimination against the City of Kinston when it comes to how the city chooses which properties are marked for foreclosure and potential demolition.

CLICK HERE to watch the Supreme Court hearing

The original lawsuit was published in 2017, and has been argued over several times, including in front of a jury. It involves the decision to condemn and mark for demolition three properties in Kinston: 110 North Trianon Street and 607 East Gordon Street, owned by Joseph Askew, and 610 North Independence Street, owned by Curtis Washington. Askew and Washington are two of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

The most recent decision, on Dec. 29, 2022, stated that the plaintiffs “did not exhaust their administrative remedies before filing this direct constitutional action in superior court, the trial court lacked subject matter jurisdiction to hear Plaintiffs’ direct constitutional claims. Accordingly, we vacate the trial court’s order and remand the matter to the trial court to dismiss Plaintiffs’ claims without prejudice for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.”

Kinston has denied the racial discrimination and has said before the plaintiffs did not exhaust their options on the local level before taking the case to court.

The case eventually made it to the state supreme court, which will render its verdict at a later date. It is possible the case could be turned back over to superior court and it’s ruling in favor of the City of Kinston.

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