AUSTIN, Texas — A nonprofit focused on police accountability is celebrating a ruling late Friday in its lawsuit against the city of Austin.
In December 2023, Equity Austin sued former Interim City Manager Jesús Garza, Interim Chief of Police Robin Henderson and Office of Police Oversight Director Gail McCant.
Plaintiffs accused the city of failing to fully implement Proposition A, also known as the Austin Police Oversight Act, passed by voters in May 2023. That included ending the use of a confidential personnel file with officer complaints known as a “g-file."
The g-file been a sticking point in contract negotiations between the city and its police union.
After a ruling late Friday in the case by District Judge Maria Cantú Hexsel, Alycia Castillo of the Equity Action called it “a momentous day for Austin.”
“Today a judge ruled the city was breaking the law and should end the ‘g-file’ system, the discretionary system used to keep records of police misconduct secret,” Castillo said in a written statement. “We hope the sunlight offered through the full, forthcoming implementation of the Austin Police Oversight Act will bring about the meaningful deterrent to police misconduct and brutality our city voted for back in 2023.”
On Sunday, KVUE spoke with Christopher Irwin, vice president of the Austin Police Association.
“This is not the final decision in the case, and we’re just waiting to see what happens next, waiting to see how the city reacts,” Irwin said. “This is done Friday at nearly 5 p.m. before a long holiday weekend. So, a lot of people looked at it, glanced and now, when we come back for the week, [we will] sit down and see where we go from here.”
On Sunday, the city of Austin sent KVUE a statement reacting to Friday’s ruling.
“We appreciate the court’s time and attention to this matter,” said a city spokesperson. “We are currently reviewing the decision and will have discussions with city leaders on potential next steps in the coming days.”