Coach Benjy Taylor, head coach of the Tuskegee University men’s basketball team, was handcuffed and detained by a Morehouse College police officer after asking him to enforce conference rules during a rivalry game between the two Historically Black Colleges and Universities in January.
Taylor’s detention was recorded by fans, and the footage was later broadcast nationally, causing him to suffer “physical damages, emotional distress, financial damages and profound humiliation,” according to a federal lawsuit filed last week.
“In addition to the emotional and physical harm, the incident inflicted significant reputational damage, undermining Coach Taylor’s professional standing and public perception,” states the lawsuit filed against Morehouse College and the two Morehouse police officers who detained him, identified as R. Clark and M. Roberson.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, accuses the college and the officers of violating Taylor’s Fourth Amendment rights by detaining him in retaliation for exercising his First Amendment rights, as well as assault and battery and false imprisonment under Georgia law.
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“The wrongful arrest and treatment were widely reported in media outlets and discussed publicly as an example of improper use of authority and Morehouse College failure to follow safety protocols by the host institution,” the complaint states.
“The Defendants’ conduct was not only unlawful but also shocking and humiliating, demonstrating a reckless disregard for Coach Taylor’s clearly established rights.”
The lawsuit seeks more than a million dollars in compensatory and consequential damages and more than a million dollars in punitive damages, plus attorneys’ fees and other relief.
‘I Got You on Video’
The incident took place on Jan. 31, 2026, during a men’s basketball game between the two HBCUs at Morehouse College in Atlanta.
Taylor alleges in the complaint that football players from Morehouse were standing on the baseline of the basketball court during the game, taunting players from Tuskegee and “using profanity towards the coaches and staff.”
Taylor first asked a referee to order the football players away from the baseline because their presence violated Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference crowd-control and security protocols.
The head referee, Marcus Bryams, wrote in his game report that he asked Morehouse police officer R. Clark to move over to the football players and ensure they did not taunt or insult the Tuskegee bench.
Video from the game shows Clark standing next to the Morehouse football players as they continued yelling toward the Tuskegee bench, with Clark appearing to laugh and turn away.
When the game ended with Morehouse beating Tuskegee 77–69, the players from both teams lined up for the traditional postgame handshake, but the complaint alleges that members of the Morehouse football team joined the line, even though they were not participants in the game.
When Coach Taylor asked Clark again to keep the football players out of the handshake line, Clark pulled out his handcuffs and cuffed Taylor’s hands behind his back, according to the lawsuit.
Video shows Clark leading Taylor off the floor and into a back hallway, followed by a second Morehouse officer, M. Roberson.
Taylor never resisted or raised his voice during the detention, the complaint says.
In a clip reviewed by Atlanta Black Star, a woman recording appears to address Clark and nearby personnel, blaming them for not doing their jobs.
“I got you on video the entire game laughing and kikiing with them,” she says in the video. “There’s a difference between being a fan and being disrespectful.”
Taylor was released without being charged and was allowed to travel with his team instead of being transported to jail.
Watch the video below.
‘It Was a Very Dangerous Situation’
The following day, local station WSFA‑TV published an article under the headline, “Tuskegee basketball coach handcuffed after game against Morehouse.”
The article did not provide many details about what led up to the detention, but included the following statement from Taylor:
“I am at a loss for words and I am upset about how I was violated and treated today. For my players, my family and people of Tuskegee to witness that is heartbreaking for me. I was simply trying to get the football team out of the handshake line as they were following right behind me and the team yelling obscenities! It was a very dangerous situation.”
The SIAC announced the next day that it had fined Morehouse College an undisclosed amount for violating conference security protocols during the game.
“In accordance with SIAC Policy 1.9 (Security), the conference determined that Morehouse College did not satisfy the required security standards for a host institution, specifically as it relates to crowd control and ensuring the safe entry and exit of visiting teams and game participants,” states the press release issued by the conference on February 2.
“As a result, the SIAC has imposed a fine on Morehouse College of an undisclosed amount and will require corrective measures to ensure full compliance with conference security policies moving forward.”
The two teams met again on March 7 in the SIAC Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship, with Morehouse defeating Tuskegee 66–56 to win the title.
Taylor has assembled a team of nationally known civil rights lawyers, including Harry Daniels, John Burris, Gerald Griggs and Gregory Reynald Williams. Griggs is the former president of the Georgia NAACP.
“Coach Taylor is a good man who did the right thing to protect his team and deescalate a dangerous situation and this officer put him in chains for his troubles,” Daniels said in a press release.
Burris said, “These officers handcuffed and humiliated a good man for no other reason than because they could.”
“We might not be surprised to see that kind of behavior in some out‑of‑control department. But this is the home of Julian Bond, Maynard Jackson, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and more. We expect better,” Burris added.
