Federal Court Orders Ex-Dallas Affiliate to Stop Representing Itself As Urban League and Using Trademarked Logos
NEW YORK – U.S. District Court Judge Jane Boyle has ordered the former Urban League of Greater Dallas, which was disaffiliated earlier this year, to stop using the Urban League name and logos.
“This marks the end of a difficult chapter on the Urban League Movement,” National Urban League President Marc H. Morial said. “We can now move forward and work with community leaders to find the best solutions to continue serving the Dallas community.”
Morial stressed that the National Urban League is working to identify a non-profit organization in the Dallas-Fort Worth area that could serve as a new affiliate.
The Board of Trustees of the National Urban League authorized the disaffiliation in July in response to serious concerns about the fiscal management and organizational governance of the Dallas organization. The affiliate appealed and the Board’s Affiliate Services Appeals Committee affirmed the decision in November, coinciding with the National Urban League’s federal lawsuit. Judge Boyle issued her decision Dec. 3.
Prior to the disaffiliation, the National Urban League worked for months with Dallas leaders to bring the organization into compliance with the Terms of Affiliation, the contract which governs the relationship between the National Urban League and its affiliates. The affiliate failed to comply with the corrective action plan, Morial said.
