On Tuesday, April 22, a judge in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted class certification in Irene Conner, et al., v. Maryland Department of Health, et. al., a lawsuit we filed in May, 2024 against Maryland for its failure to ensure residents with disabilities who have mobility impairments can live in dignity and receive essential care.  

The Court denied the state’s motion to dismiss. The Court found that the state must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in administering its nursing facility oversight functions, recognizing that residents with mobility related disabilities in nursing facilities experienced unique harms when the state failed to ensure that their nursing facility met quality standards.

The class consists of at least 9,000 “residents of nursing facilities who have disabilities with mobility impairment, and live in nursing facilities that operate under the oversight authority of the Maryland Department of Health.” 

We’ll keep you updated as the case develops. You can learn more about the plaintiffs, this ruling, and read related media stories here.  

We are grateful to Public Justice Center and Arnold & Porter for their partnership on this case.