12:16 PM PT -- Another profound speech was just given by Ebenezer Baptist's own minister, Raphael Warnock, who said what happened to Rayshard Brooks was just a small piece of a much larger issue in America ... namely, mass incarceration, which he likened to modern-day slavery.
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The reverend gave a powerful eulogy for Rayshard, in which he invoked the story of Moses telling Pharaoh to let his people go, and how African-Americans are in a similar situation now. Warnock then said police brutality is not the end all be all -- he said the criminal justice system at large was the beast that needed to be fed ... and police killings were simply a byproduct to that end -- the feeding of the machine, if you will.
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Ebenezer Baptist Church
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Warnock then got to Rayshard's situation itself, noting that the possible reason he might've tried running before getting shot was because he himself was on probation ... and figured making a run for it would be better than falling right back into the system he'd just escaped.
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The reverend then pivoted to the concept of records, saying that people with a record -- criminal or otherwise -- are often used by God, which the Bible documents well.
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Rev. Warnock, like Bernice King, called on people to continue protesting for justice ... but also made sure to urge people to make the biggest statement come Nov. 3 -- by hitting the voting booths.
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Rayshard's funeral service came to an end shortly thereafter with a prolonged musical performance from the choir ... capping an incredibly well put-together event that properly honored the man from start to finish.
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11:15 AM PT -- Dr. Martin Luther King's daughter, Bernice King, just delivered a powerful speech at Rayshard's funeral -- this after friends and family delivered remarks as well -- and she says his death will NOT be in vain, going on to call on protests for Black Lives Matter to continue until the movement's demands are met and true justice is achieved.
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Ebenezer Baptist Church
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The reverend began by saying Rayshard did not have to be killed, and that the officers could have simply let him go home. She went on to point other historic dates in history that also fall on June 12 -- the day Rayshard was killed -- and then connected the dots personally ... saying she, too, knew the pain of losing a father to racial violence.
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She went on to say that MLK himself said the Brooks family's struggle was, in fact, everyone in the community's struggle ... and that his word of "No justice, no peace" still rings true even today -- even in the city of Atlanta, which she said is considered a black Mecca.
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Reverend Bernice then said it clearly ... the next step to healing this nation is NOT more diversity or inclusion, it is acknowledging directly that Black Lives Matter -- and that a revolution of values is absolutely essential to make things right going forward.
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Bernice said that the demonstrations happening should not and will not cease until true equity is reached, and true reform takes place. She also called for reparations and an end to voter suppression -- ending by saying righteousness will prevail one way or another.
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She received a standing O for her words, which sounded eerily similar to those once spoken by her own dad. Like father, like daughter ... no doubt.
Rayshard Brooks is being laid to rest with a home going ceremony in one of Atlanta's most historic churches ... and TMZ is streaming the service live.
The procession is getting underway Tuesday morning at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once served as co-pastor for years. Rayshard's casket actually arrived at the church on Monday for a public viewing ahead of Tuesday's funeral service.
His golden casket was brought in by pallbearers wearing "Here 2 Serve" t-shirts. During the viewing, his casket was open, and his widow, Tomika Miller, reached out to touch her husband at one point.
As for Tuesday's ceremony, it's meant to be a more private affair with some noteworthy speakers ... including MLK's daughter, Rev. Bernice A. King, as well as Rev. Raphael G. Warnock -- the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist, who's supposed to deliver the eulogy.
On Friday, June 12, Rayshard was approached by two APD officers after he was found asleep in his car and partially blocking the line at Wendy's drive-thru. After a lot of cordial back-and-forth interaction, for about 30 minutes, the cops tried to handcuff Rayshard place him under arrest.
When Rayshard resisted, a struggle ensued, and he broke free with one of the officers' tasers ... which he pointed back at them as they gave chase. Officer Garrett Rolfe then opened fire and struck Rayshard twice in the back. He also allegedly kicked him after he was down.
Rayshard later died from his injuries -- and the Wendy's where and the officers tussled was burned to the ground the next day as intense protests sprung up in Atlanta.
The Fulton County D.A. announced murder charges against Officer Rolfe. His partner, Devin Brosnan, faces less severe charges ... aggravated assault, specifically. Both men have since turned themselves in for booking. Brosnan, for his part, has denied wrongdoing.
If Rolfe is convicted, the death penalty would be on the table for sentencing.
1:06 PM PT -- Cornell Athletic Director Andy Noel tells TMZ Sports the program was informed about the video Sunday afternoon ... and confirmed Panza will no longer play for the Big Red.
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"After viewing it, head football coach, David Archer, made the decision to rescind the individual’s offer to join the team in the fall," Noel says.
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"There is no room for this behavior in Cornell Athletics."
A Cornell University freshman football recruit has reportedly been dropped from the team after using the n-word in a Snapchat video over the weekend.
Nate Panza -- a running back from Morristown, New Jersey -- was shown in a video with high school classmates ... when he is heard offscreen saying, "f**k that n***a."
Panza immediately told the man capturing the convo to not make the video public ... saying, "Oh wait, you can’t put that one up. You can’t post that."
The friend behind the camera then references George Floyd, who was killed at the hands of cops in May ... and Panza criticizes him for the comment.
The video spread like wildfire on social media ... and several black student organizations at Cornell called for the school to take action.
Panza -- who signed his national letter of intent in February -- is no longer a part of the Big Red's football program as a result of the video, the Cornell Daily Sun reports.
"I am heartbroken I have hurt people; those I know and those I do not. I take full responsibility for my actions," Panza told the Sun.
"I do not believe that my language that night aligns with who I have tried to be as a person, the values I live by or the manner in which I have conducted myself as an athlete."
Panza continued ... "I plan to better educate myself on the issues of racism and injustice in America, as I want to be part of the solution and not the problem."
"The label 'racist' is not something I can live with and I will work to prove that every day for the rest of my life. It is my humble hope that I will come out of this incident as a better ally, better friend and better person."
Panza says he hopes to get a second chance with Cornell ... but the school has yet to publicly address the video.
We've reached out to Cornell for comment -- so far, no word back.
Michigan State legend Tom Izzo is admitting he was WRONG to be mad about Colin Kaepernick's national anthem protest ... saying George Floyd's death helped him understand what the movement was all about.
"Listen, I learn lessons too. And, I’m still learning at this age," 65-year-old Izzo said on 97.1 The Ticket on Tuesday.
"I talked to all those people to try to get a good feel. And, what I realized is, I wasn’t real happy with the Colin Kaepernick thing when it happened."
Izzo says he initially thought kneeling for the anthem was disrespectful to the flag ... but years later, he now knows what Kap was doing.
"And, yet, as I look back on it, how ignorant am I? Because that was a peaceful protest."
Izzo added he was "sickened" by Floyd's death last month ... saying, "It was real and it was disappointing, but it was disgusting."
"None of us know all the things that happen, but a human life is a human life and we’re treating it like it’s nothing."
No, sadly, not Washington's NFL team -- but rather the lesser-known candy ... which Nestle now says is getting a makeover due to the racist implications of the moniker.
In a statement released Tuesday ... the candy company said it'll do away with the "Red Skins" name because it's straight up "out of step with Nestle’s values."
"This decision acknowledges the need to ensure that nothing we do marginalises our friends, neighbours and colleagues," Nestle officials said.
In addition to "Red Skins", the company also says it's canning the "Chicos" name for its jelly candy ... citing the racial undertones there too.
Props to the org. for realizing the ignorance and vowing to swiftly right the wrong ... but it all begs the question -- what is going on in the NFL?!
The Redskins -- who last week cut ties with their racist ex-owner George Preston Marshall by helping facilitate the removal of a stadium monument and FedExField lower bowl naming -- STILL refuse to acknowledge the need to reconsider their team name.
Despite many Native Americans finding it offensive -- and D.C.'s mayor calling for change -- owner Dan Snyder has repeatedly been reluctant to move on from the mascot.
So, could a candy company giving in finally be the catalyst that gets the NFL's gears turning on the issue???
1:31 PM PT -- A spokesperson for the airline tells TMZ it cannot comment on active litigation, but says ExpressJet (partner of United) "does not tolerate racism and we are investigating this incident to better understand what occurred onboard our aircraft in December."
Nathan Davis Jr. is taking United Airlines to court because he claims he was racially profiled on a flight and falsely accused of having a gun ... according to a new lawsuit.
The TikTok star and ''Detroit'' actor just filed suit against UA, alleging he was singled out and harassed by a flight attendant late last year while he was on his way from Houston to Tennessee. Nathan says listening to music escalated to him getting removed from the flight ... for no reason at all.
According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Nathan says he was listening to music when one of the flight attendants told him it was too loud and that others could hear it. Nathan says others were listening as well, but he was the one reprimanded.
Nathan -- who has almost 9 million followers on TikTok -- says he complied but goes on to allege the lady circled back twice more in a rude manner and continued to tell him his music was too loud -- even though he disagreed and claims she even scolded him when the music was muted.
TMZ.com
Eventually, Nathan says she snitched to the pilot ... and that's when s*** really hit the fan. He claims the plane turned around and the staff forced him to exit the aircraft in what sounds like a humiliating display. Nathan claims the captain even tried to take his cell phone, before ultimately ordering him to go back, get his stuff and get out for good.
That's when Nathan says a gun claim was made against him over the aircraft loudspeaker ... he claims it was shocking, reckless and false.
Nathan filmed some of the encounter, and while he was leaving the plane for the second time ... you can hear someone over the PA system say "He has a gun now." He instantly reacted.
We should note -- Nathan says he wasn't even approached by law enforcement over the false and inflammatory remark. He also says no further action was taken by the airline itself ... other than bumping him up to first class on a later flight.
Now, he's suing United ... claiming negligent hiring, assault, infliction of emotional distress, discrimination and more. He's asking a judge to award him damages of no less than $10 mil.
The Cincinnati Bearcats are scrubbing outspoken racist Marge Schott's name from their baseball stadium ... with the school announcing the change effective immediately.
Of course, Schott -- who owned the Cincinnati Reds from 1988-99 -- is infamously known for praising Adolf Hitler ... saying he was "good at the beginning, but he just went too far."
On top of that, Schott was banned TWICE from the MLB for racist comments ... and had been accused of using racial slurs when referencing her players.
UC -- which named the baseball stadium after Schott in 2006 following a posthumous $2 million donation -- voted unanimously to remove the name after a petition reached more than 10,000 signatures to take action.
"Marge Schott's record of racism and bigotry stands at stark odds with our University's core commitment to dignity, equity and inclusion," UC prez Neville Pinto said in a statement.
"My recommendation to the board to remove her name is grounded in the firm belief that speaking out against exclusion is as essential as speaking up for inclusion."
"I hope this action serves as an enduring reminder that we cannot remain silent or indifferent when it comes to prejudice, hate or inequity. More than ever, our world needs us to convert our values into real and lasting action."
UC joins a list of schools taking action in removing memorials and names of people with bad history from campus ... including Clemson, which amended the name of its Honors College after DeAndre Hopkins and Deshaun Watson called for change.
A Baltimore restaurant is apologizing to an African-American woman and her son, who were clearly the victims of discrimination when the manager refused to seat them ... for reasons that made no sense.
Black child denied entry to Atlas Restaurant in Baltimore, Ouzo Bay location.
Child was denied entry for “dress code” while mother points out other child with same attire on.. pic.twitter.com/FPrlYoYast
The Atlas Restaurant Group was reacting to cell phone video shot by Marcia Grant as they tried to get a table at the Ouzo Bay restaurant. You hear the manager tell them they can't be seated because her son's wardrobe violated the restaurant's dress code.
Here's the problem ... there was another child in the restaurant -- a white child -- who was allowed in and he was dressed almost identically to Marcia's son.
The manager was unmoved, but unable to explain the different treatment.
Atlas Restaurant Group said they were “sickened," adding, "While dress codes across Atlas properties are the result of ongoing input from customers, in no way are they intended to be discriminatory." Atlas now says children under 12 accompanied by a parent will no longer be subject to a dress code.
Atlas said the manager has been placed on "indefinite leave."
The Arizona church hosting President Trump's Tuesday rally overplayed its hand by claiming it's got tech to zap away COVID-19 ... so say the owners of that technology.
Tim Bender -- the Chief Strategy Officer of CleanAir EXP, which sold the fancy air purification system to Dream City Church -- tells TMZ, the dudes who said they'd be 'rona-proof come Tuesday went overboard, and flat-out exaggerated about CleanAir's product.
He says that while their air purifiers theoretically can't hurt in helping fend off COVID-19 molecules, it actually hasn't quite been specifically tested to combat the disease.
Dream City Church
What it has gone up against in a lab is 19's ugly cousin, COVID-229E ... which is said to be a surrogate of the big baddie, with a similar protein structure. Bender says in testing, ionized particles churned out via his system "neutralize" COVID-229E.
BTW, Bender tells us he would love to get in touch with the CDC to see if his air system can do some good on a larger scale -- but just hasn't been able to get in touch. He says he's hoping when Trump comes to town and hears all the buzz, it might help him make a CDC connect.
Sounds interesting, and maybe it will kick COVID-19's ass in testing -- but until then, CleanAir isn't trying to get ahead of itself. Unfortunately, one of its most recent customers, the Dream City Church, already has.
The two church leaders have taken down their giddy FB video, but some people who saw it might be thinking they're in the clear from coronavirus -- and CleanAir says they're just not. Not yet, anyway.
The SF 49ers -- Colin Kaepernick's former team -- are now flying a Black Lives Matter flag at Levi's Stadium ... putting the message front and center next to the Star-Spangled Banner.
"Indivisible with liberty and justice for all," the Niners said of the new flag in a statement on social media on Monday. "#BlackLivesMatter"
The new piece at the stadium is powerful ... and even star running back Tevin Coleman took the time out to acknowledge his squad's tribute, commenting raised fists on the pic.
Of course, S.F's owner, Jed York, has backed the BLM movement ever since George Floydtragically died in late May ... pledging to donate $1 million to help fight systemic racism.
As part of the donation, York said at the time, "Before we are able to realize impactful change, we must first have the courage and compassion as human beings to come together and acknowledge the problem: black men, women and children and other oppressed minorities continue to be systemically discriminated against."
York has since given his team Juneteenth off and has insinuated he'll likely make election day in November a holiday for his employees as well.
Other 49ers players have also been vocal in their support of the BLM movement over the last few weeks ... with stud receiver Kendrick Bourne even shouting out Kaepernick while kneeling at a protest earlier this month.
Another disturbing racism allegation in the racing world ... Sonoma Raceway officials claim they, too, found a noose at their track over the weekend, and cops are now investigating.
According to officials at the legendary California track -- which plays host to NASCAR races annually -- a piece of twine tied in the shape of a noose was found hanging from a tree near the property on Saturday.
"To have something like that show up on our property is disgusting,” the raceway's general manager, Steve Page, told NBC Bay Area.
Page added he went to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office over the incident ... and now they say they've launched a probe into the matter.
"We take it seriously," a spokesperson said. "That's why we're out there with the violent crimes unit. Put every effort into making an ID on this."
The troubling discovery came just one day before a noose was found in Bubba Wallace's garage down at NASCAR's event at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama on Sunday.
In that incident, the FBI says it has taken over the investigation to find the culprits.
For Bubba's part, he shook off the hateful message to finish 14th in Monday's race ... and said afterward, "You're not going to take away my smile."
"The sport is changing ... Whoever it was, you're not gonna take away my smile."- @BubbaWallace
6:36 AM PT -- 6/23 -- New surveillance footage shows the Columbus PD had nothing to do with the double amputee's prosthetic legs being removed ... it was protesters dragging him away from the scene that caused them to fall off.
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Columbus PD
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The newly released video by the cops also shows the man throwing a sign and a bottle of liquid at police before they began to use their bikes and pepper spray to clear the streets.
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A previous version of this story was based on reports that cops chased after him and took his legs before protesters got them back, but that does not appear to be the case.
A violent clash between police and protesters led to a double amputee getting blasted with pepper spray, but video of the incident shows cops did not take his prosthetic legs as well.
Witnesses say the young man was unarmed and non-violent when he got pepper-sprayed by Columbus, OH police officers Sunday, but footage shows he threw items at cops ... like a sign and a bottle of liquid.
The guy reportedly crawled on his hands to get medical help, but the video shows protesters almost immediately gathered around him to drag him away ... which caused him to lose his prosthetic legs. The legs can be seen disconnected on the ground near him in the video.
NOW: Things have taken a turn here. Police came to intersection and tried to push crowd out with bikes. This happened. @nbc4ipic.twitter.com/HnHxYWkR0l
More video of the protests shows Columbus cops using their bikes as battering rams to attack the crowd, which is in stark contrast to Mayor Andrew Ginther's statement earlier in the week.
The Mayor said police could deal with violent protesters, but "those on the other side who are truly peaceful, who are truly non-violent, who are truly non-aggressive need to have the space and deserve to have the space to exercise their First Amendment rights, and we should embrace that." The Mayor and City Council also banned the use of peppery spray against non-violent protesters.
So, why the violent clash with peaceful demonstrators Sunday? The Mayor seemed to justify it by saying cops tried for more than an hour to clear the streets, but "they were met with violence from some and took action, including using mace and pepper spray as appropriate to keep crowds in sidewalks."
We've reached out to the police ... we're told they're investigating the incident.
Protesters are using all their might to tear down a statue of Andrew Jackson in our nation's capital ... just blocks from the White House.
The scene is playing out Monday night in the middle of Lafayette Park, with protesters attaching a chain to the statue of the former president in an attempt to topple the monument.
The statue has already been vandalized, with spray painters writing "KILLER" on one side of its base. Other protesters are throwing rolls of toilet paper over the statue, while some have attached ropes to the statue and are trying to pull it down.
Jackson, who is on the $20 bill, served as the 7th president of the United States and was responsible for the Trail of Tears, a policy that removed Native Americans from their ancestral lands. He's also one of President Trump's heroes.
St. John’s Church has been vandalized with spray paint reading BHAZ (Black House Autonomous Zone) pic.twitter.com/8D7UITVTK0
Nearby, more protesters are surrounding St. John's Episcopal Church, the site of Trump's bizarre photo op earlier this month, when he ordered law enforcement to clear the area with tear gas and helicopters.
Law enforcement is on hand in riot gear, and various videos posted on social media show violent clashes with protesters.
As you know ... protesters across the country and globe have been tearing down statues of various historical figures many consider to be racist, or as Taylor Swiftsays, "villains."
Oh, that's because there are NO MORE COP CARS in Fortnite -- and it seems to be the video game's way of acknowledging the real-life protests against police brutality.
All traces of police vehicles -- including SWAT vans -- have been removed from the game ... leaving many players wondering, why?
The Wall Street Journal cites a source at Epic Games -- the company behind the game -- who says it wasn't intended to be a political statement.
"I think it’s just us being sensitive about the issues many people in our audience are dealing with,” the source told WSJ.
The move has little to no impact on the actual gameplay -- you can't drive the cars around or anything like that ... they're basically decorative.
Epic Games hasn't spoken publicly about the issue -- but earlier this month, they posted a blog addressing the Black Lives Matter movement and the outrage over the killing of George Floyd ... and how it delayed the release of the Fortnite Season 3 launch.
"Recent events are a heavy reminder of ongoing injustices in society, from the denial of basic human rights to the impact of racism both overt and subtle against people of color," Epic Games said.
"The team is eager to move Fortnite forward, but we need to balance the Season 3 launch with time for the team to focus on themselves, their families, and their communities."
12:18 PM PT -- The alleged victim, a woman named Christina, says she went to visit her husband in September 2019 for a weekend of “love and laughter,” but was instead met with hostility by California Correctional Institution officers who she claims bullied her, forced her into demeaning situations and ultimately ... sexually violated her.
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Christina says she’s still in shock over the ordeal, and has been left feeling debilitated, frozen, helpless, baffled and outraged.
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She insists she was innocent of any wrongdoing, and says she's a victim of abuse of power at the hands of the CCI officers and has been left battered … something she wants no woman to go through. She adds … “I am married to and in love with an incarcerated man. This is not a crime, it does not make me a criminal.”
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Allred says their lawsuit is being filed against the CCI, along with Adventist Health, the facility that conducted some of Christina’s allegedly unlawful exams.
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Allred described Christina’s ordeal in graphic detail and described it as “state-sanctioned torture.” She says they are suing for sexual battery, battery, gender violence, sexual harassment, violations of various rights, intentional infliction of emotional distress, false imprisonment and invasion of privacy.
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Christina’s seeking damages, along with a court order for prisons to stop the practice of body cavity searches of women trying to visits their inmate husbands.
A woman claims she was subjected to a "humiliating strip search" and sexual abuse simply because she was trying to visit her husband in prison ... so she's suing.
Women's rights attorney Gloria Allred is representing the woman and will be holding a news conference Monday at 11:30 AM PT to announce the lawsuit and reveal details. The alleged victim will also speak about her "shocking and traumatic experience."
TMZ will be live streaming.
According to Allred ... her client went to a California prison for a scheduled family visit with her incarcerated husband, but says she had to undergo a strip search upon arrival.
Then, the woman claims she was taken to a nearby hospital and subjected to an invasive body cavity search of her genital area. She was allegedly X-rayed and given a CT-scan of her body while in handcuffs, as well. The woman claims she did not consent to any of it.
Allred says the invasive search of her client's vagina and other private parts violated her rights, and claims law enforcement didn't even find any contraband on or inside her body. However, the woman says she was still blocked from seeing her husband.
More specifics of the case will be disclosed at the news conference.
Baton Rouge School Board member Connie Bernard's lost the confidence of her colleagues after she was called out for ignoring an intense discussion about race -- and that's A-OK with the guy who dragged her in the first place.
Activist Gary Chambers Jr. came on ''TMZ Live'' Monday to talk about his verbal ass-whooping of Connie last week. The viral video ended with Connie storming out of the public meeting after Gary went in on her.
@GaryChambers/Twitter
ICYMI ... Connie was dragged over the coals Thursday by Gary who called her out for apparently shopping online while members of the public passionately shared why they wanted to remove Robert E. Lee's name from a local high school. Connie had already condescendingly spoken out against the name change.
Welp, Gary tells us why Connie's just a microcosm of what's wrong with government at large in this country -- specifically, elected officials simply not listening to the plight of people they rep. He also had an update on the renaming debate itself ... it's good news.
In the wake of Connie's snafu, the Baton Rouge School Board at large is now calling for her resignation. Member Tramelle D. Howard -- who reps District 3 in BR -- tells TMZ ... "Myself and other members are asking for the immediate resignation of our colleague this week."
Now, bear in mind ... despite the fact her own Board members are asking her to scram, Connie doesn't technically have to quit. According to their own rules, she either has to be kicked out via a petition from her own constituents ... or resign on her own.
BTW, this isn't the first time Connie's been asked to step down over embarrassing public actions. About a year ago, she was captured on camera putting her hands on a young person's neck after walking over and demanding he and his buddies stop partying.
She got charged in that matter and is currently fighting it in court.
The family of Ara Zobayan is begging a judge to move Vanessa Bryant's wrongful death case out of L.A. because Kobe Bryant is so popular there, it would be impossible to get a fair trial.
Ara's family spelled it out in new court docs, obtained by TMZ Sports ... saying the trial would begin with "two strikes" already against him "due to the extreme level of popularity of plaintiff with the jury pool."
As we previously reported, Vanessa sued Zobayan along with Island Express Helicopters saying they should be held financially responsible for the crash that killed Kobe, Gianna and 6 other passengers.
Now, a family member of the pilot is asking for a change of venue to Orange County, where they think they have a better chance of getting impartial jurors.
Of course, Kobe Bryant played his entire 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers -- and became an icon in the city.
"The notoriety and popularity of the late Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles County is detailed herein and reached a level that left no person in the county unaware of his role in branding Los Angeles as his city," Zobayan's family says in new court docs.
"No other single individual in recent memory, sports figure or otherwise, has been considered by the people to be such a personification of their city of Los Angeles. "
"But with that unprecedented level of acclaim comes a lack of impartiality and objectivity by potential jurors about the merits under the law of the claims asserted in this lawsuit by the Bryant family."
The Zobayan family also notes Kobe and all of the passengers lived in Orange County -- another reason the case should be moved.
Kobe, Gianna and 6 other passengers -- along with Ara Zobayan -- died when their helicopter crashed in Calabasas on January 26.
Officials believe Zobayan -- a seasoned pilot -- got disoriented when he flew into heavy fog ... and accidentally flew down into the mountains when he thought he was elevating above the fog layer.
