IL Man, Mother Harassed Black Neighbor, Hung Noose From Tree: Lawsuit

CHICAGO — Two Illinois residents harassed a Black man for months and used a noose to lynch an effigy of their neighbor in a tree in their front yard, according to a lawsuit filed in Carroll County on Wednesday by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

The suit, which was filed in the 15th Judicial Circuit in Carroll County, charges Chad Hampton, 45, of Victoria, and his mother, Cheryl Hampton, 67, of Streator, with criminal destruction of property while Cheryl Hampton was charged with criminal harassment of a witness, according to the suit.

Both of the defendants are white. The lawsuit is the first hate crime filed by Raoul's office. Raoul’s complaint alleges the two committed a hate crime by intimidation and disorderly conduct. The other criminal charges were filed by the Carroll County State's Attorney's office, Raoul said.

“Our complaint alleges the defendants intentionally used the shameful history of lynching and racism in America to terrorize and instill fear in their next-door neighbor simply because he is Black. No one should be subjected to this kind of hate,” Raoul said in a news release. “I am committed to continuing to partner with law enforcement agencies across Illinois to prosecute hate crimes and send a message that hate and bigotry of any kind are not welcome and will not be tolerated.”

According to Raoul’s lawsuit, Chad and Cheryl Hampton allegedly engaged in months of racist behavior aimed at intimidating their neighbor, Gregory Johnson. For instance, the defendants displayed the racial slur in front of a Confederate flag in a window directly facing the victim’s home.

Raoul also alleges Chad Hampton had previously displayed swastikas in direct view of Johnson’s home. Raoul also claims that the escalating harassment came to a head with the Hamptons using a noose to hang a bound and chained effigy of a Black man that was made to resemble Johnson from a tree directly in view of Johnson’s home.

“I looked out of my new home at a Black-faced mannequin shackled and lynched on a tree branch, the (racial slur) scrawled upon a window, and swastikas,” Gregory Johnson said. “Our American flag was replaced with their Confederate flag. Have we not come any farther than this? This lawsuit is about tearing off the shackles that still restrain us to this day. It’s about never giving up on the mission of our United States Constitution. We, as a nation, are better than this.”

Raoul filed the lawsuit following a hate crimes investigation by his office’s Civil Rights Bureau with assistance from the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s office, the City of Savanna, and the Savanna Police Department.

The case marks the first time Raoul has utilized expanded authority granted to his office under a 2018 amendment to the Illinois Hate Crimes Act that allows for civil lawsuits against perpetrators of hate crimes.

The public is warned that the complaint contains images that may be disturbing and that the defendants are presumed innocent of any criminal charges until proven guilty in a court of law, Raoul's office said.

The Attorney General’s Civil Rights Bureau enforces state and federal civil rights laws prohibiting hate crimes and discrimination in Illinois. Members of the public are encouraged to report discrimination or hate crimes by emailing civilrights@ilag.gov or by calling the Civil Rights Hotline at 1 (877) 581-3692.