Local News
The ruling stems from a 2024 assault at a Concord, New Hampshire, convenience store.
A New Hampshire court has ruled that a Concord man violated the state’s Civil Rights Act after assaulting a transgender woman at her workplace in a bias-motivated attack, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office announced Thursday.
The ruling, handed down by the Merrimack County Superior Court, stems from a May 19, 2024, incident in which Travis Lufkin, 25, struck the victim in the face after she asked him to leave the property where she worked. According to the attorney general’s office, Lufkin also called the victim a homophobic slur during the assault.
Citing court filings, the Concord Monitor identified the workplace as a Speedway convenience store in downtown Concord. The complaint alleged the victim had asked Lufkin to leave the store on multiple occasions before the incident.
The victim suffered several cuts, a swollen cheek, and bruises on her neck, according to the report. Lufkin reportedly fled on a bicycle following the assault.
The court found that Lufkin’s actions were motivated by “animus toward the victim’s gender identity.”
“The New Hampshire Civil Rights Act protects every person from violence and intimidation motivated by bias,” Attorney General John M. Formella said in a statement. “The New Hampshire Department of Justice will continue to enforce the laws of this state fairly and consistently, hold offenders accountable, and protect the rights and safety of all Granite Staters.”
New Hampshire’s Civil Rights Act allows the attorney general to seek civil penalties against people accused of committing bias-motivated violence or intimidation based on protected characteristics such as gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religion, or disability.
As part of the ruling, the court ordered Lufkin to have no contact with the victim or her family and barred him from coming within 350 feet of the victim, her home, or her workplace for three years, according to Formella’s office.
The court also imposed a $5,000 civil fine, with $4,000 suspended for three years, provided Lufkin complies with the court’s order. Violating the injunction could result in additional civil or criminal penalties, including fines or incarceration, according to the attorney general’s office.
Lufkin was also prosecuted on criminal charges stemming from the same incident. He pleaded guilty to second-degree and simple assault and received a 12-month sentence on the first charge, with six months suspended for three years, and a consecutive 12-month sentence on the simple assault conviction, which was suspended for three years.
Morgan Rousseau is a freelance writer for Boston.com, where she reports on a variety of local and regional news.
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