DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – The city of Springfield, Ohio has filed a lawsuit against an alleged neo-Nazi group for conducting what it claims to be a campaign of threats and intimidation.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and law firms Paul Weiss and Taft, have filed a civil lawsuit on behalf of Springfield, against the extremist group Blood Tribe and associates on Feb. 6. The case is being handled in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
Seeking compensatory and punitive damages, the suit alleges the group is responsible for the months-long campaign of harassment and intimidation against Springfield residents and officials that began in the summer of 2024.
The filing alleges the Blood Tribe was fueled by ethnic/racial hatred and coordinated a response campaign to, what they described as an “invasion” by Haitian immigrants, and a threat to “the good white residents” of Springfield.
The suit alleges Blood Tribe members openly marched in downtown Springfield while waving swastika flags, brandishing weapons and yelling racial slurs. The suit also claims they are the group responsible for more than 30 bomb threats targeting universities, elementary schools, hospitals, private residences and government buildings.
“The City of Springfield will not stand idly by while hate groups like Blood Tribe attempt to terrorize our residents and violate their civil rights. This lawsuit sends a clear message that hate, intimidation, and violence, have no place in our community,” said Springfield Mayor Rob Rue.
The ADL’s Center on Extremism calls the Blood Tribe a “hardcore” neo-Nazi group that aims to build a white ethnostate and promotes Nazi ideology, including the normalization of the swastika and white supremacy.
“It is unacceptable that outside extremists targeted and descended upon this city, sowing fear and attempting to halt the business and lives of an entire community,” said Steven Sheinberg, ADL Chief Legal Officer. “Their threats and harassment are not just morally abhorrent, but also a clear interference with community members’ civil rights and the City of Springfield’s necessary work on behalf of its residents. We filed this lawsuit today to hold them accountable for the harm they have caused to this community.”
The suit is seeking a jury trial on nine counts:
- Conspiracy and intentional infliction of emotional distress
- Conspiracy to violate civil rights
- Ethnic intimidation
- Failure to prevent interference with civil rights
- Incitement to violence
- Menacing
- Public nuisance
- Telecommunications harassment