A private individual has taken legal action against a municipal entity and its law enforcement officers for allegedly violating her constitutional rights. On January 27, 2026, Niccol Gordon filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York against the County of Nassau, the Nassau County Police Department, and Patrick Ryder, the Commissioner of the Nassau County Police Department.
Niccol Gordon claims that despite possessing a valid court order authorizing her re-entry into her residence at 89 Osbourne Road, West Hempstead, New York, she was unlawfully denied access by law enforcement officers. The complaint details that on November 20, 2024, Gordon attempted to re-enter her home with a court-issued judgment in hand. However, responding officers from the Nassau County Police Department allegedly refused to enforce this judicial directive. The refusal to act reportedly left Gordon without shelter and caused significant emotional distress. According to the complaint, "the officers ignored the court’s express instruction" and their conduct "effectively nullified the court’s ruling," leaving Gordon dispossessed of her home.
Gordon accuses the defendants of negligence and inflicting emotional distress both negligently and intentionally. She argues that their actions violated her rights under both federal and state constitutions. The lawsuit outlines multiple claims for relief including negligence due to failure to perform ministerial duties as mandated by law and causing ongoing harm by not enforcing a binding judicial mandate. Furthermore, it alleges violations under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for depriving Gordon of her property without due process of law.
The plaintiff seeks compensatory damages amounting to one million dollars per claim alongside punitive damages aimed at deterring similar future misconduct by law enforcement entities. Additionally, she requests coverage for legal costs incurred during this litigation process.
Representing Niccol Gordon is attorney Meir Moza from the Law Offices of Meir Moza & Associates based in Mineola, New York. The case is presided over by Judge JMW with Case ID: 2:26-cv-00491-JMW.
Source: 226cv00491_Gordon_v_The_County_of_Nassau_Complaint_Eastern_District_New_York.pdf