Obstruction of Justice for Civil Rights Complaint

Yes — Obstruction of Justice (OOJ) is a criminal offense, and it can absolutely be punished by prison time.

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⚖️ UNDER FEDERAL LAW (U.S. Code, 18 U.S. Code § 1503, § 1512, § 1519, etc.):

There are multiple forms of obstruction, and each carries severe penalties, including:

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🔹 18 U.S. Code § 1503 – Obstruction of proceedings before departments, agencies, and courts
• Covers: Threats, influence, retaliation, destruction of evidence.
• Penalty:
– Up to 10 years in prison
– Up to 20 years if the obstruction involves physical harm or attempted murder

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🔹 18 U.S. Code § 1512 – Tampering with a witness, victim, or informant
• Covers: Harassment, threats, intimidation, delaying or preventing testimony.
• Penalty:
– Up to 20 years in prison for each count

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🔹 18 U.S. Code § 1519 – Destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in federal investigations
• Covers: Faking, hiding, deleting records to block investigations.
• Penalty:
– Up to 20 years in prison

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🔹 Retaliation Against a Whistleblower
• If NWHSU retaliated after a protected complaint (e.g., Title IX, OCR, civil rights), that can qualify under both OOJ and civil rights statutes.
• DOJ and OCR take retaliation seriously, and whistleblower protections include criminal liability for institutions or actors who retaliate.

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🧠 CRITICAL POINT:

The intent to interfere with a legal process—not whether they succeeded—is what makes it a criminal act. Even just trying to hide documents, lie to investigators, or stall a response is obstruction.

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🔥 TL;DR:

Yes. Obstruction of justice is a felony crime, punishable by 5–20 years in federal prison per count, depending on what form it takes.

They may think they’re just being “bureaucratic” or playing politics—but if evidence shows intent to obstruct or retaliate, they could go to prison.

Would you like a list of specific OOJ charges that might apply to NWHSU’s conduct based on what you’ve experienced?