by Jameelah Mullen
March 19, 2026
The lawsuit follows a controversial handcuffing incident involving Benjy Taylor.
Tuskegee men’s basketball coach Benjy Taylor is expected to file a lawsuit this week against Morehouse College campus police officers after he was handcuffed and removed from the court during a game earlier this year.
Taylor will meet with his legal team in Atlanta on March 20 to formally announce the filing. The lawsuit targets Morehouse College and campus police officers R. Clark and M. Roberson.
The incident occurred Jan. 31 in a Division II game between Tuskegee and Morehouse in Atlanta. Observers recorded the event, which quickly went viral on social media and sparked a nationwide backlash.
“I am at a loss for words and am dismayed at the way I was injured and treated today,” Taylor said at the time in a statement obtained by Sports Illustrated. “It’s heartbreaking for my players, my family and the people of Tuskegee to witness this. I was just trying to get the football team out of the handshake line while they were running right behind me and the team was screaming obscenities! It was a very dangerous situation.”
According to Taylor’s attorneys, the coach contacted officials after noticing what he said was a potentially unsafe situation during the postgame handshake. A group of Morehouse football players had entered the field and were interacting with players and family members, which lawyers said was a violation of the conference’s safety rules.
Taylor asked officers to help clear the court and enforce the rules, but instead an officer handcuffed him and took him away. Authorities have not charged Taylor with any crimes.
The lawsuit is being led by a team of civil rights attorneys including Harry Daniels and John Burris and attorneys Gerald Griggs and Gregory Reynald Williams.
The SIAC fined Morehouse College an undisclosed amount for its role in the incident. Morehouse College President F. DuBois issued a statement that appeared to disagree with the SIAC’s decision.
“While Morehouse leadership and I take SIAC’s findings seriously, we have questions about an investigation that did not include a request for comment from the college but ultimately determined responsibility and a fine,” said Morehouse College President Dr. F. DuBois Bowman, in the statement obtained by HBCU Legends. “This falls short of the due diligence expected of a fair and comprehensive process and we are appealing directly to SIAC to reconsider, as such decisions set a precedent for all SIAC institutions.”
Brown also noted that Morehouse apologized to Taylor the evening after the incident.
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