Read: Harvard Faces Discrimination Lawsuit for Mental Health Practices
university systematically infringes on the rights of students with mental health disabilities at Harvard.
Boston, Massachusetts - Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) and Nichols Kaster have filed a lawsuit against Harvard University, accused of systematically discriminating against students with mental health disabilities. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, represents Students 4 Mental Health Justice (S4MHJ), a student-led advocacy group affected by Harvard's discriminatory policies.
The filing challenges Harvard's response to disability-related behavior, which allegedly includes exclusion, blame, and punitive measures. S4MHJ asserts that Harvard denied students the right to return to campus, including housing, after mental health-related hospitalizations, depriving them of their support system during a critical time.
For those allowed to return, job requirements and coercive, onerous contracts, demanding mental health treatment oversight and surveillance, were imposed under the threat of expulsion. These students shared experiences of having personal information disclosed without consent and being questioned by administrators unfamiliar with their cases.
The lawsuit claims that Harvard's actions deny students with mental health disabilities equal access to its programs, violating federal and state discrimination laws. A current Harvard student, part of S4MHJ, expressed feeling labeled as a liability for seeking help. Another student said the university created a culture of fear, where seeking help could result in the loss of medical privacy, housing, financial aid, and future opportunities.
"Harvard often prevented students from returning to campus, even when treating providers deemed them safe," Madeleine Reichman, Senior Staff Attorney at DRA, stated. "Such practices plainly violate federal disability rights laws."
The legal action aims to eradicate these discriminatory practices at Harvard, enabling students to seek necessary support without fear.
Key Points:
- Coercive Disclosure Requirements: The lawsuit criticizes Harvard for requiring students to divulge medical records to health services when returning from leave.
- Inequitable Treatment: The University is accused of imposing harsher requirements for students with mental health disabilities.
- Campus Bans: The lawsuit targets automatic campus bans for students after mental health-related hospitalization.
- Direct Experiences: The lawsuit presents the personal experiences of five anonymous students, including being forced into a leave of absence due to inability to return for exams after hospitalization.
For more information, visit DRA or Nichols Kaster. Join the discussion about mental health on campus by following Students 4 Mental Health Justice on their platforms. #EndDiscrimination #MentalHealthMatters
- The lawsuit against Harvard University, filed by Disability Rights Advocates and Nichols Kaster, asserts that the university's coercive disclosure requirements for students to divulge medical records to health services upon return from leave violate federal disability rights laws.
- The filing against Harvard also alleges that the university imposes harsher requirements, such as job requirements and onerous contracts, on students with mental health disabilities, creating an inequitable treatment compared to their peers.
- The lawsuit targets Harvard's practice of automatically banning students from campus after mental health-related hospitalization, depriving them of their support system and others during a critical time.
- The lawsuit presents the personal experiences of five anonymous students, including being forced into a leave of absence due to inability to return for exams after hospitalization, giving a glimpse into the culture of fear surrounding mental health on campus.
