The Medford Police Department. 

The ACLU of Oregon filed suit Tuesday against the Medford Police Department, alleging it has illegally been compiling secret files on individuals and groups who protested against the Minneapolis police murder of George Floyd, pushed for LGBTQ+ rights, criticized the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade and advocated for homeless people and drug users.

The suit alleges that the Southern Oregon police department monitored social media accounts and combed news stories to build files against individuals and groups when they weren’t suspected of any criminal activity.

“Simply put, MPD is abusing its power to spy on activists whose views it dislikes — and, not only that, building and maintaining files about such people and organizations without any justifiable law enforcement purpose, a blatant violation of Oregon law,” states the lawsuit, filed in Jackson County Circuit Court.

The suit doesn’t seek a dollar amount. Rather, it asks a judge to order police to stop the practice.

The city attorney’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

The suit alleges police kept files on the following plaintiffs: the Rogue Valley Pepper Shakers, which advocates for queer and unhoused people; Stabbin Wagon, which seeks to prevent drug overdoses; and Melissa Jones, a former executive of Stabbin Wagon.

“The Medford Police are monitoring people like me because of what we care about, not for anything related to crime,” said Toren McKnight, co-founder of the Rogue Valley Pepper Shakers, in a news release issued by the ACLU.