CURRENT LITIGATION

Jane Doe v. Brown University

On February 27, 2019, the Bazelon Center, along with Jeffrey B. Pine of the law firm Lynch & Pine, filed a lawsuit against Brown University alleging that Brown discriminated against a medical student on the basis of her disability in violation of federal and state law.  The student, referred to in legal papers as Jane Doe in order to protect her identity, was admitted to Brown’s prestigious program in Liberal Medical Education, an eight-year program that combines an undergraduate education with medical school and that has a 3.9% acceptance rate. She excelled academically in both her undergraduate and medical school courses.  During medical school, however, Jane experienced symptoms of depression and also was diagnosed with ADHD.  As a result, Jane started to receive negative evaluations in some areas, despite meeting or exceeding other academic standards.  Despite knowing that Jane was diagnosed with depression and ADHD, and despite knowledge that Jane’s behavior was related to her mental health disability, Brown dismissed Jane from medical school without considering whether reasonable accommodations would mitigate or resolve the problems.  For more information, see the legal Complaint at Doe v. Brown University (PDF).

Throughout the course of this case, Brown University tried several times to get the federal court in Rhode Island to dismiss the case and find that Brown’s failure to accommodate Jane Doe was permitted under the law. Each time, we fought for Jane Doe, and each time, the court ruled in her favor.

On October 8, 2024, the case settled by mutual agreement of the parties.

RESOURCES