Revealed | Black woman faces jail in Lithuania for ‘mocking white people’
Kamisha Menns is accused of hate speech after challenging an alleged overcharge at a Lithuanian ski resort and criticising “white woman’s tears” during the incident
A Black woman who challenged an alleged overcharge at a Lithuanian ski resort is now facing a criminal hate speech case after criticising “white woman’s tears”, Black Current News can reveal.
Kamisha Menns, 47, who is based in the capital Vilnius, has been accused by Lithuanian authorities of “publicly mocking, denigrating and inciting hatred” against people “of white origin” following an incident at Liepkalnis Ski Park in February 2025.
Ms Menns says the incident began after staff allegedly initially refused to serve her and her daughter, then aged 11, before double-charging the child’s ski ticket and refusing a refund.
“I went from demanding a refund for my child to sitting in a Lithuanian courtroom accused of hating white people,” Ms Menns, a trade regulation lawyer, told Black Current News.
“It’s surreal.”
A criminal case was formally brought against Ms Menns in February 2026, a year after the incident.
She alleges that when she demanded a refund, a female staff member slammed her hand in the kiosk window and refused to issue the money before calling the police.
Ms Menns further claims that a group of men associated with the venue then followed her around the ski resort alongside police officers, leaving both her and her daughter distressed.
“Why are they following us around like we did something wrong?” she recalled her daughter asking.
The case now centres on comments Ms Menns made after, she says, the same staff member who had called police on her began crying in front of officers.
In footage filmed by Ms Menns, she can be heard shouting: “Please watch white woman tears.
‘She was being a royal bitch and now (…) crying ‘oh, I’m the victim, help me, call the police, help me, I’m fragile, I’m so fragile, oh my God - the big Black woman is being mean to me’ (…).
“Give me back my money! All the time they do this nonsense - they’re rude, they’re unhelpful, they’re nasty and they go ‘oh it’s me, I’m the victim’. Grow up!”
Prosecutors are reportedly treating her remarks about “white woman’s tears” as evidence of racial hatred.
The phrase is commonly used in discussions around race to describe situations where a white woman’s perceived emotional distress shifts attention away from their alleged discriminatory behaviour and towards protecting or comforting the white individual instead.
The trial formally opened on 14 April but was adjourned until 12 May after the Lithuanian government appointed Ms Menns a public defender who does not speak English.
Ms Menns says she previously fired two Lithuanian lawyers over what she described as their “implicit bias and inability to understand anti-Black racism”.
During an Instagram video posted after attending court, Ms Menns said: “Today I went to Lithuanian court to defend myself against a criminal charge of being insolent to white people, being rude to white people, disrespecting white people.”
She added that the case stemmed from her criticism of “white tears and the danger it poses to Black women and their children.”
Court documents seen by Black Current News show Lithuanian prosecutors are investigating alleged offences under Article 170(2) and Article 284 of the country’s criminal code, accusing Ms Menns of insulting and encouraging hatred against people “of white origin” and disrupting public order.
If convicted, she could face up to two years in prison.
The prosecutor who conducted the criminal investigation is also bringing a civil case against Ms Menns, she says, with the resort worker seeking €3,000 in compensation.
According to prosecution records, ski centre staff alleged that Ms Menns shouted at employees, filmed them and later posted footage online.
But Ms Menns argues authorities have focused entirely on her reaction while downplaying the context surrounding the dispute and the discriminatory treatment she says she and her daughter experienced.
“I saw the hurt on her face,” she said of her daughter. “I felt humiliated and deeply hurt for her.”
Ms Menns alleges that since the incident, she has been stalked, monitored and harassed by individuals connected to the ski resort, including receiving racist direct messages online.
She also claims her daughter has experienced racist bullying at school, including being called the n-word by other children.
Her former lawyer also raised concerns about the investigation process, including the apparent absence of police body camera footage from officers present at the scene, which is understood to be a breach of protocol.
Court documents also show prosecutors refused Ms Menns’ legal team full access to the case file during the investigation phase, arguing disclosure could harm the inquiry.
Vilnius County Police have been approached for comment regarding its handling of the investigation.
The case comes amid broader scrutiny of racism and xenophobia in Lithuania.
A 2024 report by the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance raised concerns about hate speech, discrimination against minorities and growing hostility towards some ethnic groups in the country.
Earlier research by the European Network Against Racism and the Lithuanian Center for Human Rights found examples of Black people in Lithuania reporting racist abuse, workplace discrimination and bullying in schools, while Amnesty International has also raised concerns about racially motivated intimidation and abuse against Black migrants and refugees in the country.
During her interview with Black Current News, Ms Menns spoke at length about why she has continued living in Lithuania despite what she described as years of racial hostility.
Lithuania is among the most ethnically homogeneous countries in Europe. According to World Population Review, over 99% of the population is white.
“I know people will ask why I stay,” said Ms Menns, who was born in Kingston, Jamaica.
“But the truth is that I feel very strongly that no matter where in the world Black women choose to live, they should be able to carve out their own little part of the world where they are happy, where they’re at peace, where they live in community with other people.”
She added: “I’ve been here for 10 years. My daughter considers herself Lithuanian. This is where she wants to live. So I make enormous sacrifices to try and make that work for her.”
However, Ms Menns said the ordeal had caused her to question her future in Lithuania.
Discussing the wider political climate in Europe, Ms Menns argued that anti-migrant sentiment and far-right rhetoric were making life increasingly difficult for minoritised communities across the continent.
She also said she believes the public narrative around the case has played into longstanding stereotypes about Black women.
“I think people should see a mother before they see this picture of an angry Black woman that everyone likes to stereotype or envision in their heads,” she said.
“Any mother would feel wounded seeing discrimination directed at her child.”
Liepkalnis Ski Park, the Lithuanian Prosecutor’s Office and several human rights organisations were approached for comment.
Got a news tip or story idea? Submit it via this form. Reader feedback and corrections are welcomed separately here.
