Illinois attorney general wins state’s first civil hate crime lawsuit
[February 06, 2026]
By Jenna Schweikert
Amid a flurry of lawsuits filed in federal court against the Trump
administration, Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office won a historic
first in Illinois last month by successfully trying the state’s first
civil hate crime lawsuit.
Chad Hampton and his mother Cheryl Hampton, who are white, were found to
have engaged in intimidation and disorderly conduct towards their
neighbor, Gregory Johnson, who is Black, according to Raoul’s office.
The Hamptons allegedly lynched an effigy of Johnson, facing his home,
after Johnson had called the police on Chad Hampton for allegedly
damaging his lawn. Court filings show the Hamptons also displayed a
racial slur, swastikas and a Confederate flag aimed at their neighbor’s
home.
“This behavior is shocking, racist and un-American. I appreciate the
judge’s order that shows such despicable behavior will not be tolerated
in our state,” Raoul said in the release.
The attorney general’s office was first given authority to try such a
case in 2018. The legislature amended the Illinois Hate Crime Act to
allow the attorney general to file civil lawsuits against residents for
alleged hate crimes.
Carroll County Circuit Court Judge Jerry Kane ordered the Hamptons to
each pay a civil penalty of $5,000 and damages of $45,000 to Johnson.
The lawsuit, filed in 2022, details a record of behavior Raoul says was
aimed at intimidating Johnson, dating back to 2020. At the time of the
incidents, the Hamptons and Johnson resided in Carroll County in
northwest Illinois.
“Johnson had repeatedly contacted the local police department in
Savanna, Illinois, about the Hamptons’ aggressive conduct toward him,”
the lawsuit says, stating that Johnson accused Chad Hampton of damaging
his lawn with weed killer.
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The Illinois Attorney General building is pictured in Springfield.
(Capitol News Illinois file photo)
After Hampton was charged with a misdemeanor for the damage, the lynched
effigy appeared in the Hamptons’ front yard, which Raoul labeled as an
intimidation tactic and threat of racial violence in the complaint.
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Hate crimes in Illinois have been on the rise since 2016, but spiked in
the last four years, according to FBI data collected from college, city,
county, state and federal agencies.
Over 50% of reported hate crimes were due to race or ethnicity.
Reports of hate crimes have increased across the nation as well,
according to the FBI data.
“With dramatic increases in reported hate crimes, I will continue to use
all of the tools at my disposal to prosecute hate crimes and send the
message that hate has no place in Illinois,” Raoul said in a statement.
Capitol News Illinois is
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coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily
by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
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