Tell-It Report: Family of Black Man Found Hanging at Wisconsin Golf Course Demands Answers
The family of Tory Medley, 39, is seeking more transparency after police said there was “no foul play” found in his death
In Gullah Geechee communities, a “tell-it” was a designated lookout, community warning system and the most trusted source for news and information. The Tell-It Report is ContrabandCamp’s weekly roundup of the Black stories that deserve more attention—from politics to entertainment.
A Milwaukee man’s death was ruled a suicide after he was found hanging from a tree at a golf course. His family wants more transparency from authorities.
The University of Alabama has suspended its magazines catered to Black and female students in response to the Trump administration’s crackdown on DEI programs.
A judge has dismissed Jada Johnson’s family lawsuit three years after she was fatally shot 17 times in her grandfather’s living room.
Read the full stories below:
Police say there was “no foul play” after finding a Black man hanging at a Wisconsin golf course
The family of a Milwaukee man who was found hanging from a tree is demanding answers after authorities ruled his death a suicide.
First responders found Torrance “Tory” Medley, 39, hanging from a tree at Brookfield Hills Golf Course in Waukesha County on Nov. 13, two days after he was last seen leaving his home, WISN reports. The City of Brookfield Police Department published a press release on Nov. 23 stating that they found “no indication of foul play.”
“Other than injuries caused by asphyxiation, there were no other obvious signs of trauma to his body, and there is no evidence at the scene suggesting that any other individuals were present at the time of his death,” the statement read. The department also claimed that Medley was dealing with mental health issues leading up to his death. The department doubled down on its conclusion a few days later.
Medley’s family, however, isn’t buying it.
His older sister, Shena Medley, shared that the family has been pushing for “a thorough, transparent investigation” on Facebook.
“In recent days, there have been developments that appear to show the department may finally be taking a closer look — and we pray this is true. But I want to be clear: we expect and demand complete transparency from the Brookfield Police Department. My family deserves answers. Tory deserves answers. The community deserves answers,” she wrote.
On Nov. 28, Attorney William Sulton and the Waukesha chapter of the NAACP called for an independent investigation, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Sulton has asked police to turn over video footage that may help them understand his final hours.
“The police department and the medical examiner’s office haven’t ... offered the same courtesies to this family that are routinely extended in other types of (death) cases,” Sulton said. “The police department rushed to judgment here simply to declare a conclusion.”
Medley’s death comes just months after Trey Reed, a Black student, was found hanging on the campus of Delta State University in Mississippi. Authorities ruled Reed’s death a suicide, though the family and attorneys are still seeking answers.
Alabama University suspends Black and female student magazines
University of Alabama students are furious after the school suspended the campus’ Black and women’s magazines on Monday.
The university suspended Black lifestyle and culture publication Nineteen Fifty-Six and women’s magazine Alice to comply with anti-diversity, equity and inclusion policies set forth by the Trump administration following a memo Attorney General Pam Bondi sent to institutions over the summer. Associate Director of Communications Alex House said in a statement that the decision to suspend the magazines was to “ensure all members of our community feel welcome to participate in programs that receive university funding from the Office of Student Media,” as first reported by student newspaper The Crimson White.
The New York Times obtained audio of Vice President of Student Life Steven Hood stating in a meeting regarding the suspensions on Monday, “You can understand why, as a public institution, we might not be able to support magazines that are based on demographics like these two magazines are.”
The student-run organization Leftist Collective started a petition in support of the magazines, according to the Alabama Reflector. The group delivered the petition to President Peter Mohler and Hood on Wednesday.
“The purpose of this is to let [Mohler] and just generally UA’s administration, know that this is not a popular move,” the group’s secretary, Omorose Emwanta, told the local outlet. “We do not think the basis for this suspension is sound, and we want to reinstate it. I think they underestimated how valuable and popular these magazines are.”
Nineteen Fifty-Six Editor-in-Chief Kendal Wright told the Crimson White that she was “deeply saddened” by the news. “This publication has cultivated incredibly talented and budding student journalists and brought our community on campus together in such a beautiful way,” she said of the publication, which launched in 2020.
A MoveOn petition to reinstate the two magazines has over 2,800 signatures as of Sunday.
“Both outlets have and continue to employ workers outside of their target demographic until their suspension, meaning that anti-discrimination does not necessarily apply in this case,” the petition page reads. “This is, instead, a direct attack on free speech on a college campus and must be combatted by all students.”
In a statement, House said that the university hopes “to work with students to develop a new publication that features a variety of voices and perspectives to debut in the next academic year.”
Judge dismisses lawsuit in the fatal 2022 police shooting of Jada Johnson
A North Carolina judge dismissed a civil rights lawsuit brought forth by the family of a Black woman who was shot 17 times by Fayetteville police in 2022, CityView reports.
Jada Johnson was reportedly dealing with a mental health crisis when police were called to her grandparents’ home on July 1, 2022 for a reported break-in. The family, however, said that there was no break-in. Maria Iwanski, Johnson’s grandmother, told WTVD that her granddaughter was exhibiting suicidal behavior and asked the police to take her to the hospital. Instead, they tried to arrest her.
Johnson had become increasingly agitated by the officers. At one point, she reached for a gun in her waistband and threatened to kill herself. According to The Carolina Journal, she aimed the weapon at Sergeant Timothy Rugg at one point. He lunged for the gun, which led them both to fall to the floor and struggle.
Officer Zacharius Borom shot Johnson 17 times, killing her in her grandfather’s living room.
Borom and Rugg were placed on paid administrative leave after the shooting. The officers did not face charges for killing Johnson.
In 2023, Johnson’s family filed a lawsuit against the officers on the basis of excessive force, wrongful death, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, negligent execution of official duties, assault, and battery.
On Nov. 25, U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle ruled that cops used “split-second judgments—in circumstances that [were] tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolving,” according to the local outlet.
Johnson’s grandfather, Rick Iwanski, told Capital B, “I’m pissed, but resolved to get this done.
“Judge Boyle seems to have used an older doctrine, but never mentioned the doctrine being changed,” he said. “They have to look at everything now, not just how the officer feels.”
ICYMI
Quinta Brunson has launched a fund to provide free field trips to thousands of Philadelphia students.
Costco is suing the Trump administration. The wholesale company is seeking a “full refund” for the tariffs it paid under the president’s executive order.
AT&T has committed to ending its diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Maurice DuBois is leaving CBS Evening News after 21 years.
Serena Williams shut down rumors that she’s coming out of retirement.
Former Laker and NBA champion Elden Campbell has died at age 57.
Louis Carr will become president and CEO of BET as former head Scott Mills leaves.
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