(Long Beach, CA) –  In a significant victory for Latinx families, Coalision de Padres Buscando el Cambio, a parent group of over 60 families advocating for better services for intellectually and developmentally disabled children and young adults, has reached a groundbreaking settlement in its lawsuit against Harbor Regional Center and the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS). 

Filed in 2021, the lawsuit alleged discrimination in the delivery of Harbor’s state-funded services and the State’s failure to enforce the law, seeking equitable treatment and essential support for these vulnerable individuals. This settlement marks a crucial step forward in ensuring the care and services that these families have long fought to secure.

The comprehensive settlement and judgment was approved by the Los Angeles Superior Court, requiring Harbor Regional Center and DDS to implement multi-faceted reforms to address the issues claimed by the Latinx families. According to Andrea Rodriguez, Litigation Counsel in Disability Rights California’s San Diego Office, “The Padres coalition took many steps to try and resolve these issues with Harbor Regional Center and the State before finally resorting to litigation. The Padres parents simply wanted their children to have the same opportunities to access services and supports from Harbor Regional Center as other children received. This settlement represents an important step in removing barriers to services for all families, including Latinx families.” 

In settling their case, the parents’ lawsuit also improves overall access to services for the approximately 20,103 individuals served by Harbor Regional Center in southern Los Angeles County. In addition to improving its handling of service requests and how it conducts individual program plan (IPP) meetings, regional center staff will be trained on customer service, cultural humility, anti-discrimination, and how to correct their practices that previously resulted in inequitable services for Latinx families. Harbor will also update its website with improved information about the different services provided, and clear directions about how to file a discrimination complaint when the rights of children or their parents are violated.

“It was four years of hard work from everyone in the Padres coalition, but we are happy to see something come out of our hard work,” says Mayra Jimenez, one of the leaders of Padres Buscando el Cambio. “To us, this settlement agreement marks a significant step forward in ensuring that individuals with disabilities and their families receive the support and resources they deserve, paving the way for a more equitable future. We know there is a lot more work to do and that this settlement is just the start of changes coming to our community.”

The Padres coalition also reached its goal of improving overall community engagement for regional center families. The parent group obtained more parent trainings and workshops, increased participation in regional center committees and board meetings, and better collection of information through community surveys and focus groups. Significant for families who use a language other than English, the settlement promises the same access to information and participation opportunities equal to English-speaking families.   

In its oversight role to ensure that regional center activities are lawful, the State agreed in its own settlement to support the Harbor families by improving access to services, including additional resources for Spanish-speaking communities. The Department of Development Services also agreed to take its own actions to protect every regional center consumer in California, approximately 459,395 individuals, from discriminatory regional center practices in the future, including by providing improved information to the public about how to submit complaints of discrimination, retaliation, or bias against a regional center or service provider. 

“This settlement agreement will not only ensure justice for disabled children and adults, it also remedies the ongoing discrimination against Latinx families whose needs and concerns have been dismissed and trivialized,” said Antionette Dozier, Senior Attorney for Western Center on Law & Poverty. “It’s no small matter to redress civil rights violations, and we look forward to the full removal of barriers to families needing disability services, especially Latinx families.”

"This victory is a tremendous step forward for the thousands of Latinx families served by Harbor Regional Center, and it’s a breakthrough in our fight for equal access to regional center services for California's families of color," said Brian Capra, Senior Staff Attorney with Public Counsel. “Our research has uncovered similar patterns of racial disparities in regional center services funding across the state, and we need systemic change and leadership from the State of California to address the root causes of these inequities."

Background

In 2021, Padres Buscando el Cambio sued to address systemic failures at Harbor Regional Center, which provides critical services for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism and cerebral palsy. The lawsuit highlighted the center’s lack of support, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, for Latinx families, revealing that Harbor Regional Center spends only 37 cents on Latinx individuals for every dollar spent on white individuals. 

The lawsuit also exposed discriminatory practices, including insensitive remarks from service coordinators in response to Latinx parents seeking necessary services for their children. Retaliatory conduct would often follow when parents complained about the lack of services. Padres also sued the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) for failing to take action after Padres notified the State of the discriminatory practices. A copy of Padres’ amended complaint against DDS and Harbor is located here.

This landmark settlement is a pivotal step in achieving equity and justice for Latinx families and contains terms that improve these families’ lives for many years to come. Since the Los Angeles Superior Court retained jurisdiction of the settlement, Padres is able to monitor and if necessary enforce the promises made by Harbor Regional Center and DDS. Each Stipulated Judgment and Settlement Agreement are available here: 

• Stipulated judgment as to Harbor Regional Center
• Stipulated judgment as to the Department of Developmental Services

Padres Buscando el Cambio is represented by the law firms Disability Rights California, Western Center on Law & Poverty, Public Counsel, and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP.

Media Contacts

Melody Pomraning
Communications Director
Disability Rights California
(916) 504-5938
Melody.Pomraning@disabilityrightsca.org 

Maria Sundeen
Senior Communications Strategist
Western Center on Law & Poverty
(323) 333-5439
msundeen@wclp.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 defend, advance, and strengthen the rights and opportunities of people with disabilities. For more information, visit: https://www.disabilityrightsca.org

Western Center on Law & Poverty - Through the lens of economic and racial justice, Western Center on Law & Poverty litigates, educates, and advocates in courts, cities, counties, the State Capitol, and the public arena to secure just housing, health care, economy, and equitable legal systems for Californians with low incomes. Founded in 1967 and driven by the belief that low-income Californians deserve the finest possible legal representation before every institution that shapes their lives, Western Center seeks to eliminate poverty and advance racial and economic justice by dismantling and transforming systems so all communities in California can thrive. Find out more at https://wclp.org/

Public Counsel is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to advancing civil rights and racial and economic justice, as well as to amplifying the power of our clients through comprehensive legal advocacy. Founded on and strengthened by a pro bono legal service model, our staff and volunteers seek justice through direct legal services, promote healthy and resilient communities through education and outreach, and support community-led efforts to transform unjust systems through litigation and policy advocacy in and beyond Los Angeles.