30 Years Later, Lawyer Looks Back On Pennhurst School Closing
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Thirty years ago, a nightmare ended for many Pennsylvanians with developmental disabilities: Pennhurst State School and Hospital was closed, after a federal court ruling that disabled people have a right to services in the community.
"What I see in my mind is a large open space with residents sitting on the floor, often naked," recalled David Ferleger.
Ferleger sued in 1974 on behalf of Terri Lee Halderman, who'd been abused while residing at Pennhurst. He says he got the case when her mother complained to the superintendent.
"The superintendent said, 'call David Ferleger and sue me,'" he said.
That story shows there was wide agreement that Pennhurst should close. Still, it took ten years of appeals.
"I argued the Pennhurst case three times in the Supreme Court," Ferleger said.
It finally closed December 9, 1987.
Ferleger says he still gets a great sense of satisfaction from having won the residents their rights, but says keeping them protected takes vigilance.
"Just in Philadelphia in the last few weeks, the former United Cerebral Palsy Association, renamed Blossom, was cited and their license taken away, and almost a couple dozen of those folks are former Pennhurst residents, so I don't have any illusion that just because we won a landmark case in Pennhurst years ago that that means it's the end of the need to fight for the rights of people with disabilities," said Ferleger.
