A group of leaders of local affiliates of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference is suing the national organization, saying former president Isaac Newton Farris Jr. is the current and lawful president of the organization.

The group filed a civil complaint seeking an emergency hearing on the matter on Tuesday and is calling for a judge to stop the civil rights group's annual meeting scheduled for Thursday.

C.T. Vivian is the group's interim president. Farris said he was unfairly forced out earlier this year.

A spokesman for the SCLC said the organization has no comment on the lawsuit, but added that none of the plaintiffs are "bonafide members" of the group.

Tags: leadership, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, SCLC, SCLC president