Pitt McGehee Palmer Bonanni & Rivers Represents Prisoners in Lawsuit Against Michigan Department of Corrections Over Untreated Scabies Outbreak
In a significant legal development, U.S. District Judge Stephen J. Murphy has ruled that high-ranking officials of the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC), including Director Heidi Washington, must face claims that they allowed an outbreak of scabies in the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility to go untreated for years. The ruling denies the officials’ request for qualified immunity, highlighting the serious constitutional implications of their alleged actions.
The lawsuit, brought by Pitt McGehee Palmer Bonnani & Rivers, Marko Law, Nichols Kaster PLLC, David S. Steingold PLLC, Excel Law PLLC, Solomon A. Radner and Daniel Randazzo on behalf of current and former prisoners, alleges that MDOC officials and medical directors associated with Wayne State University failed to address the outbreak adequately, leading to prolonged suffering among the affected women. Judge Murphy emphasized that the denial of medical care for a serious condition such as scabies is a violation of the Eighth Amendment, which guarantees incarcerated individuals the right to treatment for serious medical needs.
Attorneys Cary McGehee, Beth Rivers, and Channing Robinson-Holmes are representing the plaintiffs in this lawsuit. On the Judge’s ruling, Robinson-Holmes told Law360:
"This is a victory for the plaintiffs who have been waiting five years to get this case into a discovery phase, and hopefully it demonstrates to the [attorney general's] office that endless delay tactics are not going to mean that the plaintiffs' case goes away."
The lawsuit names several MDOC officials, including Huron Valley’s acting warden Jeremy Howard, and medical officers from Wayne State University, alongside former doctors from Corizon Health, the prison’s healthcare provider.
This case underscores the urgent need for adequate medical care and humane conditions in correctional facilities. Pitt McGehee Palmer Bonanni & Rivers is committed to ensuring accountability and justice for the affected prisoners.
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Law360: Michigan Can't Shake Lawsuit Over Prison's Scabies Outbreak
