Hinds County MS Sued for Title II ADA Violations
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Dr. Scott Crawford, a resident of Hinds County, Mississippi (MS), has multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair for mobility. In an article posted by the Southeast ADA Center, Dr. Crawford was summoned by Hinds County to serve as a juror multiple times from 2006 to 2017 but found the courthouse to be inaccessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title II for State and local government facilities, as follows:
the Hinds County Courthouse entrance was not wheelchair-accessible,
the side entrance door was too heavy for someone using a wheelchair to open,
the courthouse restroom facilities were not accessible, and
there was no accessible seating in the building for wheelchair users.
Dr. Crawford and his colleagues from Living Independence for Everyone met with Hinds County officials to assess the courthouse and found accessibility barriers. The Hind County Board hired an ADA coordinator. However, in 2015 Dr. Crawford was again called for jury duty and discovered that no progress had been made since 2012 to fix the accessibility issues. Dr. Crawford brought a claim [sued] to seek an injunctive relief as it is likely he would be summoned again for jury duty.
The Court of Appeals found that the architectural barriers presented in the Hinds County Courthouse resulted in systematic exclusion [and discrimination], and was not an isolated incident. A complete review of this case is available at Crawford vs Hinds County.
SUMMARY: Dr. Crawford was called for jury duty multiple times over a seven-year period but was denied access due to failure by Hinds County, MS to comply with the ADA. This pattern of past discrimination with respect to the ADA suggested Dr. Crawford will suffer from additional discrimination in the future. This situation could have been prevented if Hinds County, MS, had taken a proactive approach to ADA compliance.
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