BAZELON CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH LAW RELEASES REPORT REVIEWING DISABILITY CASES INVOLVING NEIL GORSUCH
The Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law has released a report which details Judge Gorsuch’s history of opinions and decisions involving cases with disability rights issues, including cases asserting claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
The report is available here:http://bit.ly/GDCM0217
The Bazelon Center believes appointing Judge Gorsuch to the high court would result in significant harm to the lives of people with disabilities.
“Judge Gorsuch has a poor record on civil rights, and would not appreciate or protect the rights of people with disabilities if he became a Supreme Court justice,” said Jennifer Mathis, Director of Policy and Legal Advocacy at the Bazelon Center. “In his more than 10 years on the Court of Appeals, Judge Gorsuch has failed to demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the legal rights of people with disabilities.”
“The importance of this nomination cannot be overstated. Whether it be the right to leave institutions and live in their own communities (Olmstead v. L.C.), the right to have access to our justice system (Tennessee v. Lane), the right to a free appropriate public education (the currently pending case of Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District), or other issues, the Supreme Court has a critical role in interpreting and enforcing civil rights protections for people with disabilities.
It is imperative that the Senate Judiciary Committee explore fully Judge Gorsuch’s positions on the rights of people with disabilities, including the role of the Supreme Court in ensuring that civil rights laws are given the broad remedial effect intended by Congress.”