Lawsuit Claims Bias Against Deaf Youths in Juvenile Hall

A public interest law firm filed a lawsuit in federal court Wednesday against Los Angeles County, claiming that the probation department discriminates against deaf youths by denying them the same programs and opportunities for rehabilitation as the other inmates in juvenile facilities.

The Center for Law in the Public Interest alleges in its lawsuit that the county has failed to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act. The firm filed the suit on behalf of the Greater Los Angeles Council on Deafness.

“The county . . . refuses to provide deaf children with services that are routinely provided to children who can hear,” said Laura Diamond, the firm’s staff attorney.

Jo Ann Madden, of the Greater Los Angeles Council on Deafness, said, “My biggest fear is that some of these youths will fall through the cracks. They’ll be let out of custody without any rehabilitation whatsoever.” The county counsel who represents the probation department was not available for comment.

According to the suit, the probation department excludes deaf youths from rehabilitation programs routinely provided to other youths in custody and prevents deaf youths from participating in educational programs in Juvenile Hall. The suit also alleges that the county forces deaf children to languish in virtual solitary confinement in Juvenile Hall by not providing sufficient sign language interpreters or other means of communication.