Comedians Eric André and Clayton English Settle Lawsuit Over ‘Demoralizing’ Drug Search at Atlanta Airport

Nearly four years after filing a lawsuit against a police program that allegedly used discriminatory practice at the Atlanta Airport, comedians Eric André and Clayton English have reached a settlement with the county.

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Eric André and Clayton English alleged they were racially profiled and illegally stopped at Atlanta’s airport in 2021

High-profile entertainers supported their case, which highlighted racial disparities in airport police stops targeting people of color

The comedians reached a $30,000 settlement with Clayton County and secured new police training and body camera policies

Nearly four years after filing a lawsuit against an airport police program they alleged used discriminatory practices, comedians Eric André and Clayton English have reached a settlement with the county.

In October 2022, the two entertainers, who are both Black, filed a lawsuit against Clayton County police at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after they claimed they were racially profiled and illegally stopped. In their civil complaint, the comedians alleged they were singled out in two separate instances six months apart because they were Black.

According to the lawsuit, the enhanced search procedures were a part of a police program intended to combat drug trafficking. However, the comedians allege drugs were rarely found by the tactics.

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They were reportedly grilled with questions about drugs while other passengers passed by. In an interview at the time of filing, André called the experience “dehumanizing and demoralizing” according to the Associated Press.

The lawsuit was eventually dismissed in 2023, but a federal appeals court reversed the decision in August 2025. A judge determined André and Clayton “plausibly alleged” the county violated their Fourth Amendment rights, according to an opinion obtained by PEOPLE. The appeal drew bipartisan support through amicus briefs signed by high-profile entertainers including Tyler Perry, Jamie Foxx, Taraji P. Henson, Sterling K. Brown and Jodie Turner-Smith.

On Tuesday, Aug. 18, legal counsels representing both plaintiffs announced they reached a “landmark settlement” with the Clayton County Police Department. In an Aug. 4 Clayton County Board of Commissioners meeting, officials approved a settlement payment of $30,000, to be split between the two men.

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As part of the settlement, the county also agreed to require all Clayton County Police Department members assigned to the airport to wear body cameras and receive training on “the constitutional limits governing police encounters in airports,” according to a press release.

“It’s a major victory that Clayton County has confirmed that it has ended this program and is now taking steps to prevent this type of abuse from happening in the future,” André said in a statement.

Clayton added: “What happened to me was wrong, and I wasn’t willing to let it happen to other people… We held Clayton County accountable, and now the County has confirmed that the program is gone and new protections are in place to protect travelers’ rights.”

PEOPLE has reached out to a spokesperson for Clayton County for comment.

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According to Clayton County Police Department data cited in the original complaint, between September 2020 and April 2021, officers conducted 402 jet bridge stops. Of the documented events, 378 listed passenger race. About 211, or about 56%, were Black and 258, or 68%, were people of color.

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