Michigan Civil Rights Commission rules Traverse City salon owner discriminated against …

KEMETIC MINDS
Civil Rights Watch — Daily Update — July 28, 2026

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• The Michigan Civil Rights Commission found that Studio 8 Hair Lab owner Christine Geiger violated the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act by posting that transgender clients were unwelcome and by retaliating against complainants — the first time a Michigan tribunal interpreted the law’s advertising provision (9And10News, 2026).
• The Heritage Foundation, architect of Project 2025, is consumed by an internal ideological and generational civil war, while its newly launched Legal Action Center has joined a Colorado school district’s defense of a book ban challenged by the ACLU (New York Times, 2026; Baptist News, 2026).
• New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill celebrated the enactment of the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act, making New Jersey the first state to pass comprehensive voting protections after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais (WRNJ Radio, 2026).
• A Chicago homeowner is suing the federal government after Ring camera footage allegedly captured CBP agents entering his Lake View property without a warrant during an immigration raid (MSN, 2026).
• Two men face felony hate-crime charges in Clare County, Michigan, after a man was intentionally run over multiple times and nearly stabbed; in Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk condemned a surge of xenophobic attacks against Ukrainians, with police reporting a 30% increase in hate-crime reports compared to the previous year (WNEM, 2026; Yahoo News UK, 2026).

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1. Michigan Civil Rights Commission Rules Traverse City Salon Owner Discriminated Against Transgender Clients

The Michigan Civil Rights Commission ruled on July 28, 2026, that Christine Geiger, owner of Studio 8 Hair Lab in Traverse City, violated state law by posting on social media that she would not serve transgender and gender-nonconforming clients, according to Commission Chair Luke Londo (9And10News, 2026). The Commission found Geiger violated Section 302(b) of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which bars businesses from advertising a denial of service based on a protected characteristic including gender identity or expression. It also found she violated Section 701 of the act, which prohibits retaliation against individuals who file civil rights complaints (9And10News, 2026).

The case began in July 2023, when Geiger posted on the salon’s Facebook page that people who identify “as anything other than a man/woman” were not welcome and told them to “seek services at a local pet groomer” instead. Three individuals — identified in Commission documents as M. Harris, L. Maynard and H. Spooner — filed complaints with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights between July and September 2023. After settlement offers were declined, the case proceeded to an administrative law judge, who provided a recommendation to the Commission (9And10News, 2026).

After the complaints were filed, Geiger sued the three complainants in Grand Traverse Circuit Court. That case was dismissed, and Geiger’s appeal is pending before the Michigan Court of Appeals. The Commission found the lawsuit itself amounted to retaliation. Londo noted that the ruling marks the first time a Michigan tribunal has interpreted the advertising provision of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (9And10News, 2026).

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2. Heritage Foundation’s Internal Crackup and New Legal Action in Colorado Book Ban Case

The Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank best known for Project 2025, has been “consumed by an ideological — and generational — civil war,” according to a New York Times report published July 28, 2026 (New York Times, 2026). The report characterizes the turmoil as a crackup within the bastion of American conservatism, though specific details of the internal conflict were not provided in the source text.

Separately, the Heritage Foundation announced its new Legal Action Center on July 8, 2026. In its first case, the center will help conservative Christian groups defend the Elizabeth School District in Colorado against a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado (Baptist News, 2026). The district, located about 50 miles east of Colorado Springs, banned 19 books in fall 2024, most on LGBTQ themes and race, and restricted 100 titles on a “Sensitive Book” list — including George Orwell’s 1984, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and books on the Holocaust. The ACLU sued in December 2024 on behalf of students and a local NAACP chapter, arguing the policies amount to “politically motivated censorship” that limits student freedoms. The district countered that its “curation decisions are government speech immune from First Amendment scrutiny.” A judge ruled in March 2025 that the books must remain on school library shelves while the legal battle plays out (Baptist News, 2026).

The school board member at the center of the dispute is Nicole Hunt, an attorney who works for Focus on the Family and interned with Heritage. She was elected to the Elizabeth School District board last year after campaigning on “parental rights” and also serves on the Elbert County Planning Commission, where she “fights against affordable housing in the county.” Her husband, Jeff Hunt — who formerly led the Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University and cohosted a June Freedom Festival event featuring convicted and recently released felon Tina Peters — announced Heritage’s involvement in the case on July 20. Legal costs from the case have contributed to the district’s current “financial crisis” and layoffs; the previous superintendent was forced out and replaced (Baptist News, 2026).

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3. New Jersey Enacts John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act

Governor Mikie Sherrill on Tuesday celebrated the enactment of the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act, which she signed into law on July 2, 2026. Sherrill called the law a landmark measure that expands voting protections in New Jersey amid what state officials describe as growing federal threats to voting rights (WRNJ Radio, 2026). The law makes New Jersey the first state to enact comprehensive statewide voting rights protections following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais, according to the governor’s office.

Among its provisions, the measure requires jurisdictions with a history of discrimination to obtain approval from the New Jersey attorney general before making certain election administration changes; prohibits practices that dilute the voting power of communities of color; expands language assistance for voters; creates a statewide public elections database; and authorizes legal action to enforce voting rights. “I was honored to call John Lewis a friend and to serve alongside him in Congress. There is no better way to honor his legacy than by putting his life’s work into law,” Sherrill said, adding, “At a time when those rights are under attack by Donald Trump and Republicans in Washington, this work is more important than ever” (WRNJ Radio, 2026). Lieutenant Governor Dale Caldwell said the law “honors the legacy of a civil rights icon by strengthening voter protections.” Senate President Pro Tempore Shirley K. Turner, D-Mercer, Hunterdon, was the bill’s prime Senate sponsor, according to the source (WRNJ Radio, 2026).

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4. Federal Agents Storm Chicago Home Without Warrant, Lawsuit Alleges

A Chicago homeowner is suing the federal government after Ring camera footage allegedly captured CBP agents entering his Lake View property without a warrant during an immigration raid, according to a report published July 28, 2026 (MSN, 2026). The report provides no additional details about the date of the incident, the homeowner’s identity, or the status of the lawsuit beyond the initial filing. The allegation rests on the Ring video, which the homeowner claims shows the warrantless entry. No response from CBP or the Department of Homeland Security was quoted in the source text (MSN, 2026).

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5. Two Charged with Hate Crimes in Michigan; Poland Sees Surge in Anti-Ukrainian Attacks

Clare County, Michigan — Two men have been arrested on felony hate-crime charges after a 32-year-old Harrison man was intentionally run over multiple times and nearly stabbed on Saturday, July 25, 2026, according to the Clare County Sheriff’s Office (WNEM, 2026). Deputies responded to a report at 3:10 p.m. on County Farm Street near Park Street in Harrison and found the victim with severe injuries. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Christopher Wooster-Earl, 41, of Harrison, is charged with assault with intent to murder and a hate crime — true threat. According to the sheriff’s office, Wooster-Earl was driving a Jeep and argued with the victim before the assault, then backed the Jeep over the victim and drove over him several times before fleeing. His passenger, Jack Earl, 20, of Harrison, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and a hate crime — true threat. Earl allegedly attempted to stab the victim after Wooster-Earl drove off; witnesses intervened and chased Earl away. Earl later returned to the scene while deputies were investigating and was taken into custody. Wooster-Earl was arrested at his home. Bond for each was set at $100,000 (WNEM, 2026; MLive, 2026).

Poland — Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Tuesday called for an end to xenophobic attacks against Ukrainians, after a series of hate crimes hit the headlines in recent weeks amid heightened tension between Warsaw and Kyiv (Yahoo News UK, 2026). Tusk spoke after a video shared widely on social media showed three Poles beating up a Ukrainian man and his girlfriend in Wroclaw on Sunday, reportedly following a disagreement in a shop. Two of the attackers were arrested on Monday. “Anyone who commits such vile acts is acting directly against Poland’s interests. You are working against Poland, in favour of Russia and in favour of Polish and Ukrainian nationalism,” Tusk said.

Polish daily Rzeczpospolita reported that police received 180 reports of hate crimes against Ukrainians in the first half of 2026 — a 30% increase compared to the previous year. Other recent incidents include: in Poznan, a 60-year-old Polish man was beaten up at a tram stop after defending a Ukrainian boy who was verbally abused by three men; in Bielsko-Biala, a 54-year-old Polish man was filmed insulting two Ukrainian girls because of their nationality; and in Legnica, a 26-year-old woman was charged by police after she assaulted two 13-year-old Ukrainians, allegedly because of their nationality (Yahoo News UK, 2026). The souring of public sentiment follows an initial wave of sympathy after Russia’s 2022 invasion, compounded by historical tensions over Ukraine’s decision to name an army unit after a group of World War Two nationalist insurgents. In June, Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki stripped Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Poland’s top honor over the dispute (Yahoo News UK, 2026).

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What’s Disputed or Unconfirmed

Most of the reporting in this roundup is drawn from official rulings, court filings, or statements by public officials and is therefore subject to ongoing legal proceedings. Specifically:

• Michigan salon ruling: The Civil Rights Commission’s finding is an administrative determination, not a final judicial judgment. Geiger’s appeal of the dismissed circuit court case is still pending before the Michigan Court of Appeals, and the Commission’s interpretation of the advertising provision has not been tested in higher courts (9And10News, 2026).
• Chicago warrantless entry lawsuit: The homeowner’s allegation that CBP agents entered without a warrant is an unproven claim at the pleading stage. No court has ruled on the merits, and no response from federal authorities was included in the source text (MSN, 2026).
• Heritage Foundation internal conflict: The New York Times report characterizes the think tank as consumed by a “civil war,” but the source text provides no specific details or on-the-record quotes from Heritage leadership or staff confirming the scope of the turmoil (New York Times, 2026).
• Poland hate-crime statistics: The figure of 180 reports and 30% increase is attributed to Polish daily Rzeczpospolita. The underlying police data has not been independently verified by Reuters or Yahoo News UK, and definitions of hate crimes may vary by jurisdiction (Yahoo News UK, 2026).

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How to Verify This Yourself

• Michigan Civil Rights Commission decision: Read the full opinion and order on the Michigan Department of Civil Rights website at michigan.gov/mdcr — search for “Studio 8 Hair Lab” or “Christine Geiger” and the docket number referenced in the Commission’s notice.
• New Jersey voting law: The full text of the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act (P.L. 2026, c. ___ ) is posted on the New Jersey Legislature’s bill tracker at njleg.state.nj.us — search for the bill number (e.g., S-___ or A-___) that matches the prime sponsor, Senator Shirley K. Turner.
• Heritage Foundation legal action: The docket for the Elizabeth School District book-ban lawsuit (ACLU of Colorado v. Elizabeth School District) is available on the U.S. District Court for Colorado’s PACER system. Search for case number 1:24-cv-____. The Heritage Foundation’s Legal Action Center announcement is archived at heritage.org.
• Clare County hate-crime charges: Michigan State Police and Clare County court records can be searched by defendant name (Christopher Wooster-Earl, Jack Earl) via the Michigan Courts’ e-filing portal at courts.michigan.gov.

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References

1. 9And10News. (2026, July 28). Michigan Civil Rights Commission rules Traverse City salon owner discriminated against transgender clients. 9and10news.com
2. Trump Right. (2026, July 28). What the Crackup of the Heritage Foundation Says About the Post. nytimes.com
3. Baptistnews. (2026, July 28). Heritage Foundation’s new legal group joins Colorado book ban case. baptistnews.com
4. WRNJ Radio. (2026, July 28). Gov. Sherrill celebrates New Jersey voting rights law named for John Lewis. wrnjradio.com
5. MSN. (2026, July 28). Ring camera captures federal agents storming Chicago home without warrant. msn.com
6. WNEM. (2026, July 28). Two charged with hate crimes after man run over multiple times. wnem.com
7. MLive.com. (2026, July 28). Clare County man charged with hate crime after ‘intentionally running over victim’ 3 times. mlive.com
8. Yahoo News UK. (2026, July 28). Poland's Tusk calls for end to hate crimes against Ukrainians. uk.news.yahoo.com

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