On September 11, 2025, attorneys with LeDuc Montgomery LLC and the Civil Liberties Defense Center (CLDC) filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of the nonprofit organization Stabbin’ Wagon alleging that the City of Medford and Medford Police Department (MPD) engaged in a years-long campaign of unlawful retaliation, targeted surveillance, and politically motivated interference against the organization. This is the second high-profile civil rights lawsuit against the City of Medford that relies on records obtained by Information for Public Use.
According to the most recent lawsuit, various city leaders conspired to suppress the political and legal rights of the plaintiffs by targeting them for harassment and selective enforcement. Stabbin’ Wagon is a harm reduction nonprofit funded through the Oregon Health Authority, and the plaintiffs allege that the City of Medford lobbied the Oregon Health Authority to rescind a $1.5 million state grant, unlawfully monitored and stored data about the plaintiff’s social media and protest activity, and disseminated false and disparaging information to discredit Stabbin’ Wagon. The lawsuit — which is filed by Stabbin’ Wagon and two former employees, Samantha Strong and founder Melissa Jones — further alleges that the City of Medford collaborated with other nonprofits and politically antagonistic social media actors to undermine Stabbin’ Wagon’s public standing.
The lawsuit, a copy of which is attached below, relies on years of records obtained by Information for Public Use as evidence. These records and the lawsuits they have initiated have generated dozens of local, state, and national media stories that call the city’s behavior into question.
In October of 2023, Information for Public Use released emails showing that the Medford police chief, top city staff, and local nonprofit executives attempted to prevent $1.5 million of state money from being awarded to Stabbin’ Wagon to run a peer respite — a voluntary alternative to psychiatric hospitalization. The emails represent a dynamic playing out across the US: police and service providers are collaborating to maintain forms of treatment that keep them powerful, despite broad evidence that their coercive programs fuel and perpetuate harm.
In November of 2023, Information for Public Use released 600 pages of public records detailing how MPD has been spying and compiling files on progressive and radical organizations and activists for years. In summer of 2024, ACLU of Oregon used these records to sue the City of Medford on behalf of Rogue Valley Pepper Shakers, Stabbin’ Wagon, and Melissa Jones, arguing that MPD violated Oregon State law ORS 181A.250 by monitoring groups and activists without any reasonable suspicions of crime.
In June of 2025, Information for Public use released emails confirming the identity of an MPD “sock puppet” account on Facebook, which was been used to monitor activists. Page 1-8 of the records reveal that in 2020, MPD used an account with the name “Jessica Taylor” to participate in the “Black lives matter Southern Oregon” Facebook group and times even appeared to help organize events. The account follows a number of progressive and radical organizations including Stabbin’ Wagon.
Media Generated
The Oregonian, September 12, 2025
Medford nonprofit Stabbin’ Wagon files civil rights suit against city
By Maxine Bernstein
Jefferson Public Radio, September 13, 2025
Nonprofit Stabbin’ Wagon sues Medford, alleging civil rights violations
By Justin Higginbottom
KOBI-TV NBC5, September 15, 2025
Medford nonprofit files lawsuit against city and MPD
By Newsroom Staff
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