Birmingham police harassed woman who sued over AI data center, law firm alleges

A Birmingham law firm is accusing the city's police department of targeted harassment against a resident involved in a legal battle over a high-profile AI data center. The allegations stem from a traffic stop that attorneys claim was retaliatory in nature, occurring just days after the lawsuit was filed.

A Disputed Traffic Stop

Madelyn Greene, the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit challenging the construction of a 300-megawatt Nebius AI factory, was pulled over by two Birmingham Police Department officers on May 17, 2026. The incident occurred as Greene was driving home from church through Oxmoor Corporate Park, the site of the contested development.

In a formal letter sent to Birmingham City Attorney Nicole S. King on May 18, attorney K. Mark Parnell of Parnell Thompson, LLC, stated that officers provided no reason for the stop and issued no citations. According to the letter, the officers abruptly ended the interaction once Greene announced her intention to record the encounter.

Greene reported that one officer informed her that she was prohibited from taking pictures, alleged that she had been "harassing the officers out there," and claimed that he had already recorded her during the stop.

Legal Demands and Allegations

Parnell argued that the timing and location of the stop—occurring in the same area central to the litigation—suggest the move was not a random traffic check. The lawsuit, filed May 13 in Jefferson County Circuit Court, names the City of Birmingham, its Zoning Board of Adjustment, and developers Nebius, Inc. as defendants. Greene and co-plaintiff David Butler are challenging the city’s authorization of the "BHM01" project.

The legal team has placed the city on formal notice, demanding the preservation of all evidence related to the stop, including body-worn camera footage, dash-cam recordings, radio logs, and GPS data. Parnell is also seeking records of communications between the city, the police department, and third-party stakeholders like Alabama ADC Holdings LLC and Hoar Construction, LLC.

The City Responds

When contacted by 205focus.com, Birmingham Director of Communications Rick Journey indicated that the city attorney’s office does not provide comment on pending litigation. Attempts to obtain a statement from the Birmingham Police Department were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.

Parnell’s letter warns that if the harassment continues, the legal team is prepared to file for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction against the city, the mayor, the police chief, and individual officers involved. The firm is also calling for an Internal Affairs investigation and identification of the officers involved within seven days.

"Citizens of Birmingham have an absolute right to petition the courts and to oppose City development projects without becoming targets of police harassment," Parnell wrote, labeling the incident as a violation of his client’s First Amendment rights.