A Georgia city’s policies illegally restrict access to utility services, and those policies disproportionately affect black and Latino residents, according to a federal lawsuit filed Thursday.
The lawsuit against LaGrange says the city, which is the only provider of basic utilities, threatens to cut off utilities if residents don’t pay outstanding municipal court fines. Another policy denies utility services to people who can’t provide a Social Security number and a photo ID issued by the state or federal government, the suit says.
