A federal judge has denied efforts by Seneca and Cayuga counties to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Cayuga Nation regarding access to emergency dispatch systems, allowing the case to proceed.
According to a decision issued March 16 by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, the counties’ latest attempt to have the case thrown out was rejected. It marks the second time in the past six months that the court has declined to dismiss the lawsuit.
The Cayuga Nation filed the suit after alleging the counties refused to grant its police department access to local E-911 systems. Those systems are used to route emergency and non-emergency calls, dispatch law enforcement, and coordinate communications between agencies.
The counties had asked the court to reconsider a previous September 2025 ruling that also denied their motions to dismiss. In its latest decision, the court found the Nation’s complaint sufficiently alleges discriminatory treatment, specifically that Cayuga Nation residents may not have equal access to emergency services.
Clint Halftown, the Nation’s federally recognized representative, commented: “This ongoing litigation is costly for the Counties and unnecessary. Recent events involving Nation law enforcement and local law enforcement simply reinforce the need for coordination, which the E-911 system is designed to provide, and every other law enforcement agency in both countries receives. As a federally recognized police force, the Cayuga Nation Police Department simply asks that the counties respect the State’s policy of access to the E-911 system so law enforcement agencies can coordinate for the mutual goal of public safety for all local communities and residents.”
Seneca and Cayuga counties have not publicly responded to the latest ruling.
With the motion to dismiss denied, the case will now move into the discovery phase, where both sides will gather evidence and continue litigation.
