Premiering nationwide this Friday, The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain, is a socially conscious drama thriller based on the true story of a case that Elisabeth Haub School of Law Professors Randolph McLaughlin and Debra Cohen have worked on for ten years. The law school is located in White Plains, the very city where the dramatic events took place.
In 2011, Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., an elderly African American veteran with bipolar disorder, was killed during a conflict with police officers dispatched to check on him after his medical alert device was mistakenly activated. The film recounts the excessive and brutal force executed by the police in their response to this non-threatening situation and provides a lens for society to reflect on the reform needed in policing tactics and our social justice system.
ŮٱƵThis film is a tremendous opportunity to help not only bring the case into national focus, but to highlight the important issues ŮٱƵ how police respond to aided calls versus criminal calls, how they police in African-American communities, and how they are trained to diffuse situations involving people in mental health crisis,ŮٱƵ said Professor McLaughlin. ŮٱƵWhat was done was a text book ŮٱƵnot to doŮٱƵ if their intention was to de-escalate the situation and provide assistance.ŮٱƵ
According to McLaughlin, when the police arrived, Mr. Chamberlain was asleep in his bed and made more than 60 attempts over the course of an hour and twenty minutes to explain that he did not call for help, did not need help and did not want to open his door. ŮٱƵWhen we heard the audio recording, we were shocked at the inhumanity demonstrated by law enforcement,ŮٱƵ said Adjunct Professor Cohen. ŮٱƵMr. Chamberlain had no agency over his own fate.ŮٱƵ
The husband and wife legal team of McLaughlin and Cohen co-chair the Civil Rights Practice Group of Newman Ferrara LLP in Manhattan. They were asked to join the case by colleagues and fellow Haub Law alumni Mayo Bartlett and Wali Muhammad in 2012. A $21 million civil rights lawsuit was filed in federal court against the City of White Plains and several police officers.
The couple were compelled by the outrageous circumstances of the case and the resolve of Kenneth Chamberlain, Jr. to find the truth about his fatherŮٱƵs death. ŮٱƵKenneth has channeled his anger and grief into creating a movement to reform police practices and provide other families with the support they need,ŮٱƵ said Cohen. ŮٱƵI thought of my own father at that age who had cognitive challenges, and what that would have been like. I was certain he wouldnŮٱƵt have been treated the same in this situation.ŮٱƵ
The legal fight for justice has spanned over the past ten years, with a case currently still pending in federal district court in White Plains. Less than one year into legal proceedings, a grand jury declined to vote for an indictment, causing an uproar in the community and among social justice advocates. Another letdown came in 2017 when the district court dismissed most of the claims contained in a new lawsuit and excused several of the original defendants, including police officers. Following four-years of pre-trial motions, in 2020, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, restored claims of unlawful entry and non-lethal excessive force. Professors McLaughlin and Cohen are now preparing, with the legal team, for trial and hope that with the need for police reform gaining traction across the country, justice for Mr. Chamberlain Sr. can finally be achieved.
ŮٱƵNo matter how hard you work as a lawyer itŮٱƵs almost impossible to convey a victimŮٱƵs point of view when a voice canŮٱƵt be heard and they canŮٱƵt testify for themselves,ŮٱƵ added Cohen. ŮٱƵThis film shows us the perspective of the man who is on the other side of the door and gives him a voice that we hope can inspire change.ŮٱƵ
The film, which will be available , was produced and directed by David Midell, along with acclaimed actor, director and producer Morgan Freeman as an executive producer. Actor Frankie Faison plays Mr. Chamberlain Sr. in the film, which won the jury and audience awards at the 2019 Austin Film Festival where it debuted. Visit the Killing of Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain for more information.
ŮٱƵŮٱƵs Elisabeth Haub School of Law offers J.D. and Masters of Law degrees in both Environmental and International Law, as well as a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) in Environmental Law. The school, housed on the UniversityŮٱƵs campus in White Plains, NY, opened its doors in 1976 and has over 9,000 alumni around the world. The school maintains a unique philosophy and approach to legal education that strikes an important balance between practice and theory. Haub Law launched its Environmental Law Program in 1978, and it has long been ranked among the worldŮٱƵs leading university programs, with a current #1 ranking by U.S. World and News Report.
Elisabeth Haub School of Law at ŮٱƵ Professor Emeritus Michael B. Mushlin was honored with the John R. Dunne Champion of Justice Award by Prisoners' Legal Services of New York (PLS) at a ceremony that celebrated his long and impactful career as a scholar, advocate, and defender of prisonersŮٱƵ rights.
The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at ŮٱƵ is proud to announce the expansion of the leadership team of its Advocacy Program with the appointment of Jared J. Hatcliffe, Esq., as Associate Director of Advocacy.
The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at ŮٱƵ is proud to announce two winners of the 2025 Goettel Prize for Faculty Scholarship. University Distinguished Professor of Law Bridget J. Crawford received the award for her article , in the Minnesota Law Review (109 Minn. L. Rev. 737 (2024)) and Associate Professor of Law Josh Galperin received the award for his article , in the Wisconsin Law Review (2025 Wis. L. Rev. 89 (2025)).