Judge To Decide Whether Lawsuit Filed By 1921 Race Massacre Survivors Gets Trial

A judge asked for seven more days to decide whether the lawsuit filed by the survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre goes to trial or gets dismissed.

The survivors sued several agencies, including the City of Tulsa and the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office.

Every agency has asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed, but we won't have an answer for at least another week.

"Our very special guest, Viola Fletcher, is 109 years old," said Attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons.

Outside of the Tulsa County Courthouse, the three living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre were ready for their day in court.

Lessie Randle, Hughes Van Ellis Sr., and Viola Fletcher filed the lawsuit, hoping to hold someone accountable for those crimes.

The lawsuit was filed back in 2020 against the City of Tulsa, the chamber, the sheriff's office and others in a public nuisance case.

Attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons said the race massacre and aftermath still impact the city and especially people in North Tulsa to this day.

"We want an abatement of the nuisance from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre where all the properties were destroyed," said Solomon-Simmons.

The agencies being sued asked the judge to drop the suit, but Solomon-Simmons said he and the survivors need their day in court to prove their case. He said there are many ways to get justice and those would be discussed at trial.

"For instance, asking for zoning could be one we talked about. That's something these cases do all the time-- land trusts, an assortment of things," said Solomon-Simmons.

"Justice is what I have in mind, and I hope that's how it turns out," said Viola Fletcher.

If the judge decides the lawsuit can move forward, it will go to trial. The attorneys for the agencies asking for dismissal didn't comment.