Maine’s attorney general has filed a civil rights complaint against a 65-year-old woman accused of racist verbal and physical attacks against two Black people that included threats of “I will f—ing kill you!” toward one of the victims.
Attorney General Arron M. Frey announced the complaint under the Maine Civil Rights Act on Tuesday against Andrea Ouellette of Lewiston, Maine, who, according to the complaint, exhibited racist behavior toward a 48-year-old Black woman and a 31-year-old Black man.
Both victims, who live along a block across the street from Ouellette’s home, are originally from Somalia but have lived in Lewiston for two decades, according to the complaint.
More than 80 percent of Lewiston’s population is made up of white residents, and just under 11 percent of the city is Black, according to Census Bureau data.
Around Nov. 9, 2023, the man was outside his home speaking with his neighbor — a conversation that Ouellette was able to hear, the document showed.
Ouellette, who is white, called him a racial epithet and told him to “go back to your country,” according to the complaint.
After the victim told her to stop, Ouellette allegedly assaulted the man by throwing a pumpkin at his head, causing him to need medical attention for a swollen face, broken nose and a broken tooth.
The man required surgery to fix his nose and sinuses, and he missed several weeks of work during recovery, the complaint stated.
“The Defendant’s actions also emotionally distressed Victim 1, and he continues to avoid coming into contact with the Defendant whenever possible,” according to the document.
Frey also accused Ouellette of similar behavior toward another woman who lives nearby around Jan. 10.
As the neighbor exited her vehicle, the complaint stated that Ouellette left her building to confront the neighbor and began yelling that she couldn’t park her car there.
Ouellette then allegedly approached the woman wielding a knife, screaming racial slurs and telling the Black woman to “go back to your country or I will f—ing kill you.”
The complaint says the incident caused the woman to fear for her life and contact local police. The victim’s daughter also experienced emotional distress stemming from the racist incident, and the woman and her family have avoided coming into contact with Ouellette wherever possible.
The Lewiston Police Department, which is investigating both incidents, says criminal charges are pending against Ouellette, according to the district attorney’s office.
Frey’s complaint is requesting a civil injunction against Ouellette, preventing her from having any future contact with either victim and their families and from future violations of the Maine Civil Rights Act.
The act authorizes Frey to bring an action against anyone using or threatening physical force, violence, or property damage against someone based on biases related to race, color, religion, or other characteristics, according to the DA’s office.
“Maine should be a place where everyone, no matter what race, feels safe to live and thrive,” Frey said in a statement. “I will use the Maine Civil Rights Act to its fullest extent to stop racist threats and violence.”
Violating an order issued under Maine’s Civil Rights Act can mean a $2,000 fine and up to 364 days in jail, the office said in a news release.
Ouellette remains held in jail on a $5,000 cash bail, an Androscoggin County Jail representative told Atlanta Black Star in an email.
