Chertok v. City of Medford

Medford, Massachusetts, passed a Values-Aligned Local Investments Ordinance barring the city from investing public funds in companies tied to weapons manufacturing, fossil fuels, private prisons, and human rights violations. Though the ordinance never mentions Israel, opponents sued to strike it down, arguing it improperly intrudes on federal foreign policy authority. With city officials declining to enforce the ordinance during litigation, ADC stepped in to defend Medford residents’ right to uphold the law they passed—and are now opposing Plaintiffs’ Motion to Strike that defense. The case could set a precedent for challenges to similar community investment laws nationwide.