Advocates Commemorate Willowbrook Lawsuit’s Legacy, Urge Action

The legacy of the Willowbrook State School continues to resonate, as advocates highlight ongoing challenges for individuals with disabilities, decades after the facility’s closure. At an event hosted by the New York Appellate Division, First Department, on October 27, 2023, panelists emphasized the critical need for increased funding and support for this vulnerable population.

Willowbrook, located on Staten Island, was once home to approximately 6,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities before its closure in 1987. By the late 1960s, the institution faced severe overcrowding and public outcry over neglect. The landmark civil rights case that ultimately led to its shutdown was a pivotal moment in the fight for better treatment of individuals with disabilities.

Panelists at the event included Victoria Schneps, whose family played a significant role in the lawsuit. Her late husband, Murray Schneps, led the class action suit in which their daughter, Lara Schneps, was a plaintiff. In the Willowbrook Consent Judgment of 1975, United States District Judge Orrin G. Judd mandated improved care for residents and set the stage for the facility’s closure.

Despite the progress made, Victoria Schneps remarked, “We are still in a war,” referring to ongoing underfunding that leaves facilities understaffed and vulnerable to the same neglect issues that plagued Willowbrook. She has actively organized protests against budget cuts affecting services for individuals with disabilities and founded the nonprofit Life’s WORC, which provides essential support for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Continuing Challenges and Calls for Action

The panel also featured attorney Beth Haroules from the New York Civil Liberties Union, who noted the widespread impact of the Willowbrook case. “The Willowbrook case generated enormous waves of positive repercussions throughout the state, throughout the country and internationally,” she stated. Yet, she cautioned that chronic underfunding and bureaucratic inefficiencies threaten the advancements achieved through the lawsuit.

One pressing issue discussed was the lack of adequate housing for individuals with disabilities. Attorney Leonard Simmons, representing the Mental Hygiene Legal Service, explained that many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are often confined to hospital psychiatric units due to delays in securing community housing. He highlighted the distressing reality that clients with a legal right to community housing can spend “months to over a year” in acute psychiatric facilities, which are not suitable for their needs. “You have clients who are just waiting for a home and can spend over a year without seeing the light of day,” Simmons said.

Another significant concern raised was the low wages for care workers, which Marco Damiani, CEO of AHRC NYC, linked to insufficient government funding. “If there was high respect and understanding that people with disabilities are like everybody else, then we would see higher wages,” Damiani explained, suggesting that societal values affect the treatment of this community.

A Call for Renewed Commitment

The panelists urged state government officials to reaffirm their commitment to the legal rights established by the Willowbrook case. “The story of Willowbrook is not just about yesterday,” said Henry Kennedy, the panel’s moderator and an attorney at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP. “But it is very much about tomorrow.”

As advocates continue the fight for enhanced funding and support, the legacy of the Willowbrook lawsuit remains a critical touchstone in the ongoing struggle for the rights and dignity of individuals with disabilities. The voices of those affected, along with their families and advocates, underscore the need for vigilance and action in ensuring that the progress made is not lost to neglect and underfunding.