The U.S. Department of Justice is suing the state of Maine, alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for allegedly unnecessarily segregating children with behavioral health disabilities in hospitals, residential facilities, and a juvenile detention center.
The lawsuit, filed on Sept. 9, alleges that Maine’s behavioral health service system is structured in a way that forces hundreds of children into institutional care—sometimes out of state—and separates them from their families.
