JAY-Z’s Team Roc Sues Kansas City Over Alleged Brutal Police Misconduct
Jay-Z’s social justice organization, Team Roc, has filed a lawsuit seeking the release of police misconduct records, accusing Kansas City, Kansas, of blocking access to key documents
Team Roc believes the documents could expose decades of abuse by members of the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department (KCKPD).
The lawsuit, filed in partnership with the Midwest Innocence Project, claims the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and KCKPD have failed to comply with the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA), which mandates the production of public records.
The legal filing in Wyandotte County District Court centers on repeated requests for documents originally submitted in November 2023, including reports related to accusations against KCKPD officers dating back to 2013.
Particularly, the lawsuit seeks records tied to former KCKPD officers and investigative divisions, including former Police Chief Terry Ziegler, along with federal investigations by the FBI and Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
Team Roc and the Midwest Innocence Project argue the government entities responded by using what the lawsuit describes as “obstructionist tactics,” providing only a fraction of the requested documents.
Among these were 225 records, many of which were basic personnel logs showing officer assignments rather than misconduct reports.
These documents allegedly lacked substance, failing to address the core allegations of abuse that have haunted the department for years.
Among the gravest accusations is a case involving Roger Golubski, a former KCKPD detective charged with federal crimes, including sexual exploitation and framing individuals for crimes they did not commit.
His trial is slated to begin in December.
The complaint seeks a court order compelling the Unified Government to release the records and return funds paid for incomplete production, along with a declaration that the city’s handling of the records requests violated state law.