Private lawsuits are important to hold government agencies accountable for civil rights violations. Full access to Medicaid services and the right to enforce these services are crucial to achieving community integration for people with disabilities.
"Today, the Supreme Court rejected a cynical gambit to overturn decades of legal precedent and strike another legal blow to civil rights," said Megan Schuller, Legal Director of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. "We applaud Justice Jackson and the majority for their decision to uphold the rights of people with disabilities in this case. Governments should be accountable to the people they serve when they violate their rights, including under Medicaid Law. This is a major victory in our ongoing fight for full and equal inclusion of people with disabilities in our society."
The Bazelon Center worked with several disability and civil rights groups to file an amicus brief, urging the Supreme Court to reaffirm the private right of action to enforce public program guarantees and disability rights. We organized a large-scale campaign with advocates in Indiana to raise awareness of the importance of this case and an individual's ability to sue state and local governments when their civil rights are violated under public programs such as Medicaid.
Thank you to our coalition of disability and civil rights advocates in Indiana and nationwide and our fellow amici for helping secure this victory! Read the full opinion here.
