Mass. Gen. Laws » Part I Title II Chapter 12
Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 12, § 11H (2026)

Violations of constitutional rights; civil actions by attorney general; right to bias-free professional policing

✓ current as of July 2026
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Section 11H. (a)(1) Whenever any person or persons, whether or not acting under color of law, interfere by threats, intimidation or coercion, or attempt to interfere by threats, intimidation or coercion, with the exercise or enjoyment by any other person or persons of rights secured by the constitution or laws of the United States, or of rights secured by the constitution or laws of the commonwealth, the attorney general may bring a civil action for injunctive or other appropriate equitable relief in order to protect the peaceable exercise or enjoyment of the right or rights secured. Said civil action shall be brought in the name of the commonwealth and shall be instituted either in the superior court for the county in which the conduct complained of occurred or in the superior court for the county in which the person whose conduct complained of resides or has his principal place of business.

(2) If the attorney general prevails in an action under this section, the attorney general shall be entitled to: (i) an award of compensatory damages for any aggrieved person or entity; and (ii) litigation costs and reasonable attorneys' fees in an amount to be determined by the court. In a matter involving the interference or attempted interference with any right protected by the constitution of the United States or of the commonwealth, the court may also award civil penalties against each defendant in an amount not exceeding $5,000 for each violation.

(b) All persons shall have the right to bias-free professional policing. Any conduct taken in relation to an aggrieved person by a law enforcement officer acting under color of law that results in the decertification of said law enforcement officer by the Massachusetts peace officer standards and training commission pursuant to section 10 of chapter 6E shall constitute interference with said person's right to bias-free professional policing and shall be a prima facie violation of said person's right to bias-free professional policing and a prima facie violation of subsection (a). No law enforcement officer shall be immune from civil liability for any conduct under color of law that violates a person's right to bias-free professional policing if said conduct results in the law enforcement officer's decertification by the Massachusetts peace officer standards and training commission pursuant to section 10 of chapter 6E; provided, however, that nothing in this subsection shall be construed to grant immunity from civil liability to a law enforcement officer for interference by threat, intimidation or coercion, or attempted interference by threats, intimidation or coercion, with the exercise or enjoyment any right secured by the constitution or laws of the United States or the constitution or laws of the commonwealth if the conduct of said officer was knowingly unlawful or was not objectively reasonable.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 518 cases (59 in the last 5 years), 1981–2026 · leading case: Redgrave v. Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc., 502 N.E.2d 1375 (Mass. 1987).
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Redgrave v. Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc., 502 N.E.2d 1375 (Mass. 1987). · cites it 19× “Under the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act, Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 12, § 11H and § 11I, may a defendant be held liable for interfering with the rights of another person, by `threats, intimidation, or coercion', if the defendant had no personal desire to interfere with the rights…”
Nolan v. CN8, 656 F.3d 71 (1st Cir. 2011). · cites it 8× “In response to this discharge, Nolan filed in the Massachusetts Superior Court a claim of speech-motivated retaliation under the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act ("MCRA"), Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 12, §§ 11H, 11I.”
Sena v. Commonwealth, 629 N.E.2d 986 (Mass. 1994). · cites it 7× “§ 1983 (1988) and G. L. c. 12, § 11H and 11I (1992 ed.), abuse of process, mali *254 clous prosecution, false arrest, false imprisonment, negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and loss of consortium.”
Bally v. Ne. Univ., 532 N.E.2d 49 (Mass. 1989). · cites it 7× “Bally alleged that Northeastern’s policy requiring student athletes to consent to drug testing as a condition of participating in intercollegiate sports violated his civil rights under G. L. c. 12, §§ 11H and 111, and his right to privacy under G.”
Bell v. Mazza, 474 N.E.2d 1111 (Mass. 1985). · cites it 7× “On defendants’ motion to dismiss, a Superior Court judge dismissed count one of the complaint, ruling that “[tjhere is no violation of [G. L. c. 12, §§ 11H and 111] here as the plaintiffs complain of no interference by state action or class *178 based animus with rights secured…”
Batchelder v. Allied Stores Corp., 473 N.E.2d 1128 (Mass. 1985). · cites it 6× “3 Deprivations of secured rights by private individuals using violence or threats of violence were prevalent at the time that the Legislature considered G. L. c. 12, §§ 11H and 11I. See Boston City Council Resolution of November 14, 1979, endorsing House Bill No.”
Cabi v. Boston Child.'s Hosp., 161 F. Supp. 3d 136 (D. Mass. 2016). · cites it 6× “§ 1983 for constitutional claims, Mass. Gen. L. c. 12 §§ 11H and 111, Title VII, Mass.”
Mouradian v. Gen. Elec. Co., 503 N.E.2d 1318 (Mass. App. Ct. 1987). · cites it 6× “151B, § 4(1), and the Civil Rights Act, G. L. c. 12, §§ 11H and 111; and (8) for consequential damages by Nancy Mouradian for her loss of society and companionship.”
Thomas v. Town of Salisbury, 909 F.3d 483 (1st Cir. 2018). · cites it 3× “He further alleged that Harrington violated the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act ("MCRA"), Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 12 §§ 11H, 11I, by depriving him of a protected property right - namely, his continued employment with the SPD.”
Madsen v. Erwin, 481 N.E.2d 1160 (Mass. 1985). · cites it 4× “" It is a broad brush complaint which in its prologue invokes the Massachusetts civil rights statutes, G.L.c. 12, §§ 11H, 11I, G.L.c. 214, § 1B (invasion of privacy), "the common law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and…”
Wilber v. Curtis, 872 F.3d 15 (1st Cir. 2017). · cites it 2× “The complaint also contained five claims under Massachusetts law: violation of civil rights under the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act (“MCRA”), Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 12, § 11H, the state analogue to § 1988; malicious prosecution; intentional infliction of emotional distress; false…”
Howcroft v. City of Peabody, 747 N.E.2d 729 (Mass. App. Ct. 2001). · cites it 3× “We affirm summary judgment in favor of the city on Howcroft’s State civil rights claim because we conclude that a municipality is not a “person” covered by the Massachusetts *592 Civil Rights Act (MCRA), G. L. c. 12, §§ 11H, 111. In Batchelder v.”
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— Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 12, § 11H(1996) — 1 case
Lamanque v. Massachusetts Dep't of Emp. & Training, 3 F. Supp. 2d 83 (D. Mass. 1998).
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