Susanna Leighton is a freelance writer and editor based in Southeast Michigan. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, Susanna holds degrees in speech pathology and human services. She is a former special education teacher, an avid lover of all things science, and a steadfast supporter of justice and equality for all. She is currently working on her first book of personal essays entitled, 'A Day Leighton, A Dollar Short.'


ACLU Files Suit Against Kim Davis and Rowan County

Back in 2015 when the Supreme Court made marriage equality the law of the land, millions of Americans rejoiced; it was a decision long overdue for the countless same-sex couples who up to that point, had been denied the right to legally join their partners in matrimony, thus stripping them of their basic human rights.


Oh, The Wells Fargo Wagon Has Some Explaining To Do

Wells Fargo bank, one of the largest in the nation, has found itself in hot water after the corporate giant’s unrealistically aggressive sales and incentive structure wound up seeing employees opening thousands of sham accounts and credit cards in unsuspecting clients’ names, later resulting in a $185 million civil settlement. In addition to other illegal


Students Outraged Over Racial Slurs Found on EMU Campus

On Tuesday, September 20, in Ypsilanti, Michigan, the campus of Eastern Michigan University was left shocked, frightened and angered after learning one the university’s buildings had been defaced with racial slurs. The school boasts an extremely diverse population of students, leaving many to question what could possibly have been the motive behind the vandalism or


Lover Deemed Responsible For Death of Bobbi Kristina Brown

On Friday, September 16, Fulton County Superior Court Judge T. Jackson ruled Nick Gordon was ‘legally responsible’ for the untimely death of Bobbi Kristina Brown. The wrongful death civil suit was filed by members of Brown’s estate who alleged that on New Year’s Eve, 2015, Gordon, during a cocaine and alcohol-fueled rage, gave the young


No Laughing Matter: Jim Carrey Sued Over Former Girlfriend’s Suicide

In September of 2015, actor and comedian Jim Carrey suffered a great loss when the body of his on-again-off-again girlfriend, Cathriona White, was discovered in her home after she took her own life. After writing a number of suicide notes, including one to Carrey, White swallowed a lethal dose of prescription pills with the expressed


How Gretchen Carlson Got Outfoxed With Sexual Harassment Settlement

For every public sexual harassment lawsuit covered by the media, there are countless others that never see the light of day. While it may appear a victory for Gretchen Carlson, who received a $20 million settlement from Fox News in response to her complaint against the network regarding the alleged sexual harassment she endured from


Failure to Medicate: Ex-Inmate Awarded $3 Million

John Henricks, a former inmate of the Ohio state prison system, was awarded a $3 million dollar settlement by a jury earlier this week after the state failed to answer his complaint in the appropriate amount of time. Henricks, who initially represented himself when he filed the case, accused Dr. Ida Gonzalez, along with the


Still No Justice, Still No Peace

When will it end? In yet another disturbing case of police violence against blacks, 13-year-old Tyre King was shot multiple times by a Columbus police officer resulting in the young child’s death. I don’t care what the circumstances were that led up to the shooting, because they do not matter. What does matter is the


Intentional Blast Rocks Popular NYC Neighborhood

Hours after a pipe bomb exploded near the Jersey Shore during a 5K charity race for members of the United States Marine Corps on Saturday, the neighborhood of Chelsea in Manhattan was rocked by an explosion that left 29 people injured. New Yorkers were obviously left shaken by the blast, though Mayor Bill de Blasio


Dead Men Walking: Alabama Sets Two Execution Dates

The state of Alabama is set to execute two inmates this year for the first time since 2013. The Alabama Supreme Court upheld the death sentences of Tommy Arthur and Ronald Bert Smith, Jr. on Wednesday, August 14, 2016, setting their dates to die by lethal injection on November 3 and December 8 respectively. Smith