Jay-Z’s Team ROC has filed a lawsuit against the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department and the local government accusing them of failing to produce police records in a timely manner and obstructing the transparency required by public records laws. The lawsuit, filed on November 19, 2024, specifically targets the Kansas City Police Department and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas. Team ROC alleges that both parties have disregarded the Kansas Open Records Act by refusing to provide requested documents, hindering efforts to investigate claims of corruption and civil rights violations.
The lawsuit highlights a series of legal and ethical concerns regarding the Kansas City Police Department’s handling of public records requests. Dania Diaz, the managing director of Team ROC, expressed frustration with the lack of cooperation from the police department, noting that out of the sixteen documents requested, only three were provided and those few documents were largely unrelated to the inquiry. Team ROC argues that this failure to fully comply with records requests undermines transparency and accountability, both of which are essential for maintaining public trust in law enforcement.
“This filing is because human beings with badges have betrayed the public’s trust … That type of behavior must be held to a standard,” Diaz told NBC News.
The lawsuit marks the latest in Team ROC’s ongoing battle to expose corruption and combat civil rights violations within law enforcement agencies. The organization has long been involved in efforts to hold public servants accountable for misconduct, particularly in cases involving marginalized communities.
Team ROC’s mission to address systemic issues of abuse and corruption within the Kansas City Police Department is not new. The organization was instrumental in bringing attention to the case of former Kansas City police detective Roger Golubski in 2022. Golubski was charged with federal civil rights crimes for his involvement in sex crimes against Black women and for framing innocent individuals for crimes they did not commit. This case further galvanized Team ROC’s efforts to advocate for greater scrutiny of police practices, particularly those that disproportionately affect Black, immigrant, and minority communities.
In the lawsuit, Team ROC emphasizes that for decades, these communities in Kansas City have been subjected to systemic abuse by law enforcement officers. The lawsuit alleges a longstanding culture of misconduct within the Kansas City Police Department, which has repeatedly ignored or even covered up abuses committed by its officers. According to the filing, rather than promoting transparency and accountability, the department has actively contributed to a culture of secrecy, allowing abusive actions to go unchecked.
The lawsuit also points to a broader pattern of mistrust between law enforcement and the community, particularly in the context of minority and immigrant populations who have faced disproportionate levels of mistreatment and neglect. Team ROC claims that the lack of transparency in handling public records requests is merely one symptom of a much larger issue of systemic corruption and abuse within the department.
This legal action is part of Team ROC’s broader initiative to address police misconduct and advocate for civil rights across the country. The organization has worked on numerous cases involving law enforcement accountability and has been vocal in its efforts to highlight the ways in which police forces across the nation have failed to serve and protect the communities that need them most.
As the lawsuit unfolds, it is clear that Team ROC is determined to continue pressing for justice and systemic reform, particularly in cities like Kansas City, where marginalized communities have suffered from repeated abuses by those sworn to protect them. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for how police departments across the United States handle public records requests, transparency, and accountability moving forward. For now, Team ROC remains committed to its mission of holding law enforcement agencies accountable and fighting against corruption and racial injustice wherever it exists.
