Kali Watkins’ lawsuit is moved to federal court
Gary Craig – Rochester Democrat and Chronicle USA TODAY NETWORK – in the D&C on page A1
Kali Watkins, the former Webster Schroeder High School coach who was exonerated on charges he raped a teenager, claims in a federal lawsuit that the police investigation into the allegations was slipshod, myopic, and ignored evidence of innocence.
He also contends in the lawsuit that school officials, including Superintendent Carmen Gumina, closed their eyes to proof that he was wrongly accused and paid no heed to his likely innocence.
“This was an injustice,” states the lawsuit, filed earlier this month. “An innocent man subject to public humiliation and financial ruin all because of personal animosity and a reckless and malicious investigation.”
Watkins, represented by attorney Kamran Hashmi, filed a lawsuit in November in state court. The defendants then asked for the case to move to federal court because Watkins alleged civil rights violations.
Watkins then filed an amended lawsuit in federal court.