Bread for the City v. District of Columbia

The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of D.C., and the law firm of Sheppard Mullin are challenging the District of Columbia’s practice of sending police officers rather than mental health providers to respond to mental health emergencies. They represent Bread for the City, a community organization, and allege that the disparity in how the District responds to physical and mental health emergencies violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.

The lawsuit contends that the District discriminates against people with mental health disabilities by failing to ensure that mental health providers, instead of police officers, are available to provide timely responses to mental health emergencies.