The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago announced on Friday, June 21, 2024, its intention to intervene in a pending lawsuit against Itasca, Ill., alleging the village engaged in unlawful disability discrimination in reviewing and ultimately denying a zoning request filed by Haymarket Center to use its property as a treatment center for people with substance use disorders.
Following an exhaustive Department of Justice investigation, the complaint contends that the village:
- engaged in disparate treatment by employing a host of highly anomalous tactics to frustrate Haymarket’s application for zoning approval,
- concocted a pretextual narrative that the treatment center would impose severe economic harms on the region, while also fanning the flames of residents’ fears by issuing numerous public statements disparaging Haymarket and its supporters, and
- failed to fulfill its accommodation obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act prior to denying Haymarket’s zoning request.
We are heartened by this development and remain hopeful to finding a resolution with Itasca leaders.
With their intention to intervene, the DOJ joins us in reinforcing equality and fairness in healthcare, addressing discrimination and inequality against those with substance use disorders, and protecting vulnerable populations by ensuring access to life saving treatment.
For more, you can watch this NBC 5 segment featuring Haymarket Center President and CEO Dr. Dan Lustig. Additional coverage on the DOJ’s announcement can be found in the Daily Herald, Crain’s Chicago Business and FOX 32.