Morris, who at the time of her resignation last summer was the only African-American woman serving in the state Legislature, said a series of racial threats and harassment that began during the 2016 election drove her choice to step down.
Morris and her husband reported a possible death threat last summer when her husband, James Lawton, turned his computer on and saw the words "DEAD DEAD" had replaced his name in the log-in screen.
Before Misch's entrance, Donovan announced a statewide bias incident reporting system.
Donovan's announcement was followed by statements from Morris, her husband and other officials.
In 2018, Rep. Ruqaiyah “Kiah” Morris, the then-only Black female lawmaker in Vermont, stepped down from her duties after suffering months of racial threats and harassment. A year later, she and her husband, James Lawton, filed a formal complaint with the Vermont Human Rights Commission. Kiah Morris announced earlier this year ...
The Associated Press is now reporting that following a two-year inquiry with eight Bennington Police Department officers, including Chief Paul Doucette, the VHRC discovered that officers failed to properly look into the threats against the former lawmaker due to racism and prejudice.
They also stated that the department failed to inform Morris and her husband that a local therapist called police to report that Misch, who at the time owned a semi-automatic rifle and several 30-round magazines, might have posed a danger to the couple.
Morris and Mr. Lawton can be grouped into the following two categories: (1) Property Crimes (based on the alleged burglary, theft and vandalism); and (2) Online Harassment (based on statements made via social media).
October 2016, Burglary. This incident involves an alleged Burglary of an Occupied Dwelling in violation of 13 V.S.A. § 1201(c)(3) based on someone entering Ms. Morris’s basement and stealing Mr. Lawton’s neckties. This incident is not subject to prosecution because there was no physical evidence (e.g., fingerprints, DNA, reported possession or sale of the missing neckties) or eyewitness evidence that would provide a basis for identifying the suspect(s). As noted above, the basement of Ms. Morris’s residence was not dusted for fingerprints or swabbed for DNA nor was the neighborhood canvassed to see if anyone else had seen anything suspicious. As noted by BPD Chief Doucette, this was not unusual for such cases.