Press Releases & Statements
For information on press releases and/or statements please contact:
Melody Pomraning
Communications Director
(916) 504-5938
melody.pomraning@disabilityrightsca.org
Disability Rights California (DRC) - Is the agency designated under federal law to protect and advocate for the rights of Californians with disabilities. The mission of DRC is to advance the rights, dignity, equal opportunities, and choices for all people with disabilities.
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DRC and Advocates File Complaint Responding to Death at Mesa Verde Detention Facility
Disability Rights California, Centro Legal de la Raza, and the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice filed a complaint today with the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General and Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Division in response to the death of Mr. Choung Woong Ahn, who died in solitary confinement at Mesa Verde, an ICE detention facility operated by the private, for-profit GEO Group. ICE and GEO repeatedly violated federal disability law, Mr. Ahn’s constitutional rights, and binding detention standards throughout his time at Mesa Verde.
Disability Rights California’s Executive Director, Andrew Imparato Announced as Member of the Biden Harris Administration COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force
(Sacramento, CA) Yesterday, President Biden announced the twelve members of the Biden Harris Administration COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force.
Advocates Fear for People with Disabilities and Underlying Health Conditions Under the Age of 65 Being Left Out as California Shifts to Age-Based COVID-19 Vaccine Priority
Disability Rights California and advocates share frustration with the new release of guidelines from Governor Newsom for the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. The new guidelines result in the disabled, chronically ill, high-risk, and immunocompromised people under 65 having to wait even longer, putting their lives at risk.
Disability Rights California announces selection of Eric Harris as the new Director of Public Policy
Disability Rights California (DRC) is delighted to announce the selection of Eric Harris as the new Director of Public Policy beginning February 10, 2020.
California Department of Education (CDE) Ruled in Favor of Students with Disabilities Who Were Denied Special Education Assessments by the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) During the COVID-19 Pandemic
(Sacramento, CA) - On January 19th, the California Department of Education (CDE) ruled in favor of students with disabilities, declaring that the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) has failed to conduct special education assessments since distance learning began amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lawsuit Seeks Injunctive Relief and Damages for Black Child with Disabilities Who Was Handcuffed, Forcibly Detained by Moreno Valley Campus Security Officers and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department
Plaintiff also calls for the School District to invest in positive supports for students and end its harsh and controversial reliance on police intervention, which results in handcuffing, restraint, arrest, campus removal, and hospitalization for disability-related behaviors.
(Moreno Valley, CA) – On February 4th, Disability Rights California, Barajas & Rivera APC, and Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking an injunction and damages against the Moreno Valley Unified School District (MVUSD), District Superintende
Statement of Disability Rights California in Response to Events at the U.S. Capitol this Week
Disability Rights California (DRC) strongly opposes the new White House memorandum that was issued July 21, 2020, that would negatively impact the 2020 census by not counting every person in the United States.
City of Eureka Halts Enforcement, Will Reconsider Illegal Anti-Homelessness Law
(EUREKA, CA) – An anti-homelessness ordinance set to take effect at midnight tonight has been set aside by the City of Eureka. City Council will reconsider the ordinance at its next meeting on January 5, 2020. The ordinance made it unlawful to camp in almost every part of the City, including Old Town, the Waterfront, and all City parks and recreational trails; it defined camping as living outdoors as well as occupying a vehicle in the restricted zones.
Disability Rights California and Covington & Burling, LLP Seek Emergency Court Action to Release Medically Vulnerable Patients from Crowded State Mental Health Hospital and Save Lives in the Midst of Surging COVID-19 Outbreak
(Los Angeles, CA) Yesterday, Disability Rights California (DRC) and Covington & Burling filed an emergency motion in federal court to force the Department of State Hospitals (DSH) to discharge medically vulnerable patients from Patton State Hospital, one of the largest psychiatric hospitals in the country that is in the midst of a massive and deadly COVID-19 outbreak.
Hundreds of patients who are involuntarily confined at Patton State Hospital have conditions that put them at high risk for severe illness or death from COVID-19.
Disability Rights California Releases New Investigative Report Finding Inadequate Conditions at Otay Mesa Detention Center
(San Diego, CA) Today, Disability Rights California (DRC) releases a new report, “Otay Mesa Detention Center: Inhumane Conditions and the Harsh Realities of ICE’s Civil Detention System.”
This report shines a much-needed light on the inadequate conditions of Otay Mesa Detention Center (“Otay Mesa”), located in San Diego, California after a year-long investigation.
Federal Court Rules that Lawsuit by Deaf Californians with Developmental Disabilities Can Move Forward
(San Francisco, CA) A federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit challenging discrimination against deaf Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities (“I/DD”) can go forward. The California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) had asked the court to dismiss the case.
California Department of Education (CDE) Ruled in Favor of Students with Disabilities Denied Educational Services by the Bakersfield City School District Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
(Bakersfield, CA) - On October 6th, the California Department of Education (CDE) ruled in favor of students with disabilities, declaring that the Bakersfield City School District (BCSD) failed to implement students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEP) to the “greatest extent possible” since distance learning began amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Disability Rights California Releases New Advocacy Platform
Disability Rights California (DRC) adopted a new Advocacy Platform to meet our mission and vision and demonstrate our commitment to disability justice through bold, progressive advocacy that pushes society toward more inclusion, equality, equity, and full participation for all people.
Settlement Reached with Los Angeles County to Provide Foster Youth with Vital Mental Health Services
(Los Angeles, CA) - The County of Los Angeles has entered into a new settlement of a longstanding lawsuit, Katie A v. Bontá, where it has made a number of commitments to significantly increase intensive home and community based mental health services for thousands of children and youth involved with the County’s foster care system.
California Supreme Court Win for People with Developmental Disabilities and their Families
(San Francisco, CA) - Today, the California Supreme Court ruled in favor of people with developmental disabilities and their families who live in federally-subsidized housing. The Court held that a federal regulation prohibits public housing authorities from counting In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) payments towards a family’s income.
Across California, Hospitals are Making Matters Worse for Patients with Disabilities and Older Adults During Covid-19
Disability rights and older adult advocates from the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, Disability Rights California, Justice in Aging, and Independent Living Resource Center San Francisco filed several complaints with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) over widespread policies and practices that put hospital patients with disabilities including older adults at incr
Rule Keeping Californians from Eviction Under Threat – Tenants and Advocates Move to Intervene
(Bakersfield, CA) - With another rent day come and gone and government stimulus checks drained, four individuals and three renters’ rights groups – Organize Sacramento, Tenants Together, and Faith in the Valley – filed a motion to intervene in Christensen et. al. v. Judicial Council of California, which challenges California’s freeze on evictions during the pandemic. The interveners are represented by Disability Rights California, Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, and Western Center on Law & Poverty.
Disability Rights California and Covington & Burling LLP File Lawsuit to Protect State Psychiatric Hospital Patients from COVID-19
(Los Angeles, CA) - Yesterday, Disability Rights California (DRC) and Covington & Burling LLP filed a federal lawsuit to protect patients who are highly vulnerable to severe illness or death if they contract COVID-19 at Patton State Hospital (DSH-Patton), a California Department of State Hospital (DSH) in San Bernardino, California. We are seeking immediate action to protect the health and well-being of these medically vulnerable patients, including through discharge or transfer to safer, non-congregate settings.
Disability Rights California Files Lawsuit against Alameda County for Its Failed Mental Health System
(Oakland, CA) Today, Disability Rights California (DRC), along with Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and the Oakland-based law firm Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian & Ho filed a federal lawsuit under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) against Alameda County and Alameda Health System.
DRC Statement Opposing White House Memorandum on the 2020 Census
Disability Rights California (DRC) strongly opposes the new White House memorandum that was issued July 21, 2020, that would negatively impact the 2020 census by not counting every person in the United States.