Sidley, alongside the Center for Public Representation (CPR) and Disability Rights Texas (DRTx), achieved a landmark victory for thousands of Texans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who have been segregated in facilities without mandated services or opportunities for community living. For decades, the State has unnecessarily institutionalized more than 4,000 Texans with IDD in segregated nursing facilities and denied them specialized disability services which are required by federal law. More than a decade ago, twelve individuals with IDD, together with two state-wide disability organizations, filed a class action case asking the federal court to halt these federal law violations. Shortly thereafter, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) intervened to support the people with disabilities.
After presiding over a multi-week trial in the class action lawsuit, U.S. District Court Judge Orlando L. Garcia from the Western District of Texas issued a 475-page opinion on June 17, 2025, finding for the plaintiffs and DOJ on all claims and ruling that “Texas’ actions have caused irreparable injury to people with IDD who are in nursing facilities.”
The Court ordered the parties to submit a proposed remedial order by August 1, 2025. The Court’s decision affirms the core goal of the ADA – to end the historical segregation of people with disabilities, and to allow all people in nursing facilities to transition to integrated programs in the community with appropriate supports.
The Sidley team includes Yvette Ostolaza and Rob Velevis, who have been handling this case since 2010, as well as Angela Zambrano, Margaret Allen, Natali Wyson, Mason Parham, David Silva, Mitchell Alleluia-Feinberg, Barret Armbruster, Tayler Bragg, Sophie Green, Shelby Greaves, Nick Greenberg, Dunn Westhoff (all in Dallas), David Carpenter (Los Angeles), and Jillian Stonecipher (Washington, D.C.).
