Filed Date: Feb. 14, 2023
Case Ongoing
Clearinghouse coding complete
On February 14, 2023, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice filed this lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota against the Minnesota Department of Corrections (MNDOC). The DOJ brought this action under 42 U.S.C. §§ 12131–34 to enforce the rights of incarcerated individuals with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), seeking injunctive and declaratory relief, compensatory damages to all aggrieved individuals, and other appropriate relief as required. The DOJ claimed that the defendant operated its General Education Development (GED) Program in a way that discriminated against prisoners with disabilities by failing to provide these individuals with necessary reasonable modifications.
The DOJ alleged that the defendant violated the ADA by failing to properly identify individuals with disabilities, thus denying qualified individuals the benefits of its GED Program and denying them an equal opportunity to participate. The DOJ also alleged that the defendant failed to make reasonable accommodations for GED courses, practice tests, and the actual exam, which were necessary to avoid discrimination on the basis of a disability.
On February 14, 2023, the parties also filed a joint motion to approve their consent judgment. On March 7, 2023, the court entered the consent decree. The defendant agreed to comply with the ADA by providing reasonable accommodations to incarcerated individuals with disabilities so that they could participate in the GED Program and to submit reports to the DOJ about these changes. The consent decree included the following changes:
MNDOC would submit its revised policies to the DOJ for its review and approval
MNDOC would hire an ADA compliance officer that would coordinate their efforts to comply with the ADA
Training would be provided to MNDOC personnel concerning the ADA and disability discrimination
The defendant also agreed to pay no greater than $78,267.00 to individuals aggrieved by their actions.
As of October 19, 2023, this case is closed.
Summary Authors
Rhea Sharma (10/13/2023)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/66965463/parties/united-states-v-minnesota-department-of-corrections/
Faiella, Matthew J (Minnesota)
Kim, Christine (Minnesota)
Samie, Bahram (Minnesota)
Johnston, Elizabeth Roosevelt (Minnesota)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/66965463/united-states-v-minnesota-department-of-corrections/
Last updated Aug. 10, 2025, 1:07 a.m.
State / Territory: Minnesota
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: Feb. 14, 2023
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
The United States
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 12111 et seq.
Available Documents:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Content of Injunction:
Amount Defendant Pays: 78,267.00
Issues
General/Misc.:
Disability and Disability Rights:
Discrimination Area:
Discrimination Basis: