This notice is about a proposed settlement of a class action lawsuit against the City of Laguna Beach and the Laguna Beach Police Department involving alleged violations of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (RA).
ABOUT THE LAWSUIT:
On August 20, 2015, five persons with disabilities experiencing homelessness who claimed to live in the City of Laguna Beach filed this lawsuit, entitled Kenneth Glover et al. v. City of Laguna Beach et al. The lawsuit alleges that certain services, programs and activities offered by the City of Laguna Beach and its Police Department for individuals experiencing homelessness are inadequate and inaccessible to persons with disabilities, thereby violating Title II of the ADA and section 504 of the RA. The lawsuit also alleged that the City of Laguna Beach and its Police Department violated the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution (and similar provisions of the California Constitution) by enforcing against certain individuals with disabilities experiencing homelessness Laguna Beach Municipal Code Sections 8.30.030 (prohibiting unlawful camping and sleeping in public areas) and 18.05.020 (prohibiting entering, remaining, or staying on beaches or in public parks during closing times) as well as California Penal Code Section 647(e) (prohibiting lodging on public or private property without permission). The lawsuit further alleged that the City of Laguna Beach and its Police Department violated the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (and a similar provision of the California Constitution) by knowingly exposing individuals with disabilities experiencing homelessness to increased risk of danger. The lawsuit requested that the Court order the City of Laguna Beach and its Police Department to stop enforcing the above code sections against individuals who the lawsuit claimed to have no practical way to comply by virtue of their disabling condition(s) and homelessness as well as to create and/or fund alternative accessible legal places to sleep, such as permanent supportive housing, to individuals with disabilities experiencing homelessness who live in or relocate to Laguna Beach. The City of Laguna Beach and its Police Department denies any and all allegations of wrongdoing.
In November 2015, the homeless individuals requested that the Court prevent the City of Laguna Beach and its Police Department from enforcing the above code sections and also from discriminating against individuals with disabilities experiencing homelessness until the lawsuit was decided. In February 2016, the Court denied that request. In June 2017, the Court ordered summary judgment of the Constitutional claims in favor of the City of Laguna Beach, thereby dismissing those claims from the lawsuit. The Court also certified the ADA and RA claims in the lawsuit as class claims, and ordered that the van provided by the City to transport individuals to and from the ASL be equipped with ramps or lifts.
The parties have reached a settlement of the claims that were certified as class claims, and this notice provides details of that settlement.
THE PARTIES:
Formerly homeless individuals with disabilities Michael Newman, David Sestini, and Richard Owens ("Plaintiffs") represent a class of individuals certified by the Court, which is defined as "[a]ll homeless persons who reside or will reside in the geographic area of Laguna Beach who have a mental and/or physical disability as defined under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Americans with Disabilities Act" ("the Plaintiff Class"). The Defendants in the case are the City of Laguna Beach and the Laguna Beach Police Department. If you are a homeless person with a disability who lives or will live in the City of Laguna Beach, you are a member of the Plaintiff Class in this case.
ABOUT THE SETTLEMENT:
The following is only a summary of the provisions of the settlement. The written agreement between the parties has the full terms of the proposed settlement that was preliminarily approved by the Court. There are instructions below if you want more information about this settlement, including a copy of the complete agreement. The settlement is for non-monetary relief only, which means that the parties are agreeing that the City of Laguna Beach and the Laguna Beach Police Department will continue certain actions that they already take and will take certain additional actions to ensure compliance with Title II of the ADA and section 504 of the RA and address those claims in the lawsuit. The settlement does not entitle you or any member of the Plaintiff Class to money damages, i.e., a cash payment.
The Contents of the Settlement
IF YOU WANT MORE DETAILS:
There is a group of lawyers, Glover Plaintiffs' Class Counsel, representing Plaintiffs and the Plaintiffs Class in this case. You can get a list of these lawyers and a copy of the settlement agreement from the following website: https://www.aclusocal.org/glover.
You can get an easy-to-read version and an audio version of the settlement agreement at this website: https://www.aclusocal.org/glover.
To ask questions about the settlement of this case you can:
IF YOU DO NOT OBJECT TO THIS SETTLEMENT:
You do not have to do anything.
IF YOU OBJECT TO THIS SETTLEMENT:
You must mail a statement explaining why you object to the settlement. The deadline is September 17, 2018. Please be sure to include your name, address (if available), telephone number (if available), your signature, a reference to this settlement or the case (Kenneth Glover et al. v. City of Laguna Beach et al.), the portions of the settlement to which you object, and the reasons you object. Mail your objection to:
Glover Plaintiffs' Class Counsel
c/o ACLU of Southern California
1313 W. 8th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Glover Plaintiffs' Class Counsel will provide your objection to the federal judge assigned to this matter, the Honorable Andrew J. Guilford, and to Defendants' Counsel. You must mail your objection by the above deadline; you cannot object to this settlement after the deadline has passed. Even if you object, you do not have the ability to "opt out" of this settlement if the Court approves it.
HEARING REGARDING FINAL APPROVAL OF THIS SETTLEMENT:
The Court will also hold a hearing about this settlement on November 5, 2018. The hearing date could change. Please check any of the websites listed above close to the date of the hearing for information about any possible change in the hearing date. The Court gets to decide whether to allow members of the Plaintiff Class who timely served objections to this settlement to speak at the hearing.
The address for the court is:
U.S. Federal District Court, Courtroom 10 D
411 West 4th Street
Santa Ana, CA 92701-4516
You can get more details about the hearing from the places listed above.
Esta notificación es sobre un acuerdo propuesto de una demanda colectiva en contra de la ciudad de Laguna Beach y el departamento de policía de Laguna Beach involucrando supuestas violaciones del Título II de la Acta de Americanos con Discapacidades (ADA) y sección 504 de la Acta de Rehabilitación del 1973 (RA).
SOBRE LA DEMANDA:
El 20 de agosto del 2015, cinco personas con discapacidades pasando por falta de vivienda quienes aseguran vivir en la ciudad de Laguna Beach presentaron la demanda titulada Glover et al. v. City of Laguna Beach el al. La demanda alega que ciertos servicios, programas y actividades que ofrecen la ciudad de Laguna Beach y el departamento de policía de Laguna Beach para individuos pasando por falta de vivienda, son inadecuadas e inaccesibles para personas con discapacidades, de este modo, violando el Titulo II de la ADA y sección 504 del RA. La demanda también alega que la ciudad de Laguna Beach y su departamento de policía violaron el octavo y decimocuarto enmiendas de la constitución de los Estados Unidos (y provisiones parecidas de la constitución de California) por imponer en contra de ciertos individuos con discapacidades pasando por falta de vivienda código municipal secciones 8.30.030 (prohibir acampamento ilegal y dormir en áreas públicas) y 18.05.020 (prohibir el entrar, permanecer, o quedarse en playas o en parques públicos durante horas de cierre) al igual que código penal de California sección 647(e) (prohibir alojamiento en propiedad pública o privada sin permiso). La demanda además alega que la ciudad de Laguna Beach y su departamento de policía violaron la decimocuarta enmienda de la constitución de los Estados Unidos (y una provisión parecida de la constitución de California) por exponer a propósito a individuos con discapacidades pasando por falta de vivienda a un riesgo aumentado al peligro. La demanda solicito que el tribunal ordene a la ciudad de Laguna Beach y su departamento de policía pongan un alto a imponer los códigos mencionados anteriormente contra los individuos quienes la demanda reclama no tener manera práctica de cumplir por virtud de sus condiciones incapacitantes y falta de vivienda además de crear y/o financiar lugares legales y accesibles alternativos para dormir, como vivienda permanente de apoyo para individuos con discapacidades pasando por falta de vivienda que viven, o se mudaron a Laguna Beach. La ciudad de Laguna Beach y su departamento de policía niega cualquier y todas alegaciones de delito.
En noviembre del 2015, los individuos con falta de vivienda solicitaron que el tribunal impida que la ciudad de Laguna Beach y su departamento de policía imponga los códigos mencionados anteriormente y también de discriminar contra individuos con discapacidades pasando por falta de vivienda hasta que la demanda sea decidida. En febrero del 2016, el tribunal negó la solicitud. En junio del 2017, el tribunal ordeno juicio sumario de las declaraciones constitucionales en favor de la ciudad de Laguna Beach, de esa manera, despidiendo esos reclamos de la demanda. El tribunal también certifico los reclamos del ADA y RA en la demanda como reclamaciones colectivas, y ordeno que la camioneta provista por la ciudad para trasladar individuos hacia y del ASL serán equipadas con rampas y elevador.
Las partes han llegado a un acuerdo de las reclamaciones que fueron certificadas como reclamaciones colectivas, y esta notificación provee detalles de ese acuerdo.
LAS PARTES:
Individuos con discapacidades que anteriormente estaban sin hogar, Michael Newman, David Sestini, and Richard Owens ("demandantes") representan la clase de individuos certificado por el tribunal, que está definida como "todas las personas sin hogar que residen o van a residir en la área geográfica de Laguna Beach que tienen una discapacidad mental y/o física como es definida bajo la sección 504 de la Acta de Rehabilitación y la Acta de Americanos con Discapacidades" ("la clase de demandantes"). Los demandados en el caso son la ciudad de Laguna Beach y el departamento de policía de Laguna Beach. Si usted es una persona con falta de vivienda con discapacidad que vive o va a vivir en la ciudad de Laguna Beach, usted es miembro de la clase de demandantes en este caso.
SOBRE EL ACUERDO:
Lo siguiente es solo un resumen de las provisiones del acuerdo. El convenio escrito entre las partes tiene los términos completos del acuerdo propuesto que fue preliminarmente aprobado por el tribunal. Hay instrucciones abajo si quiere más información sobre el acuerdo, incluyendo una copia del convenio completo. El acuerdo es para alivio no monetario, que significa que las partes están de acuerdo que la ciudad de Laguna Beach y el departamento de policía de Laguna Beach continuaran ciertas acciones que ya han tomado y tomaran ciertas acciones adicionales para asegurar cumplimiento con Titulo II del ADA y sección 504 del RA y abordar las reclamaciones de la demanda. El acuerdo no le concede a usted o cualquier miembro de la clase de demandantes a dinero para daños, i.e., un pago en efectivo.
Los contenidos del acuerdo
SI QUIERE MAS DETALLES:
Hay un grupo de abogados, el consejo colectivo de los demandantes de Glover, representando a los demandantes y la clase de demandantes en este caso. Usted puede conseguir una lista de estos abogados y una copia del acuerdo de solución en los siguientes sitios web: https://www.aclusocal.org/glover.
Usted puede conseguir una versión que es fácil de leer y una versión audio del acuerdo de solución en este sitio web: https://www.aclusocal.org/glover.
Para hacer preguntas sobre el acuerdo de este caso, usted puede:
SI USTED NO SE OPONE A ESTE ACUERDO:
Usted no tiene que hacer algo.
SI USTED SE OPONE A ESTE ACUERDO:
Usted debe enviar una declaración explicando por qué usted se opone a este acuerdo. La fecha límite es 17 de septiembre del 2018. Por favor asegúrese de incluir su nombre y apellido, dirección (si corresponde), número de teléfono (si corresponde), su firma, una referencia a este acuerdo del caso (Kenneth Glover et al. v. City of Laguna Beach et al.), las secciones del acuerdo a las que se opone, y las razones por que se opone. Envíe su objeción a:
Glover Plaintiffs' Class Counsel
c/o ACLU of Southern California
1313 W. 8th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90017
El consejo colectivo de los demandantes de Glover proveerá su objeción al juez federal asignado a este asunto, el Honorable Andrew J. Guilford, y al consejo de los demandados. Usted necesita enviar su objeción antes de esta fecha límite mencionada anteriormente; usted no puede oponerse a este acuerdo después de la fecha límite. Aun si usted se opone, no puede "retirarse" de este acuerdo si el tribunal lo aprueba.
AUDIENCIA SOBRE LA APROBACIÓN FINAL DE ESTE ACUERDO:
El tribunal también llevará a cabo una audiencia sobre este acuerdo el 5 de noviembre del 2018. La fecha de la audiencia puede cambiar. Por favor revise cualquiera de los sitios web mencionados anteriormente más cerca a la fecha de la audiencia para más información sobre un posible cambio de fecha. El tribunal puede decidir si permite a los miembros de la clase de demandantes, quienes entregaron a tiempo sus objeciones al acuerdo, hablar en la audiencia.
La dirección para el tribunal es:
U.S. Federal District Court, Courtroom 10 D
411 West 4th Street
Santa Ana, CA 92701-4516
Usted puede conseguir más detalles sobre la audiencia desde los sitios mencionados anteriormente.
BAJE ESTA INFORMACIÓN EN UN FOLLETO IMPRIMIBLE.
to see the whole agreement.
The agreement is about all people with a disability who are homeless who live in Laguna Beach or will move there.
The main things the agreement says
Some police staff who work with groups of people in Laguna Beach will:
The City of Laguna Beach will look at other training for police officers.
The City of Laguna Beach will still have someone in charge of making services easy for people with disabilities to use.
This includes the City's shelter for homeless people called the ASL shelter. It is at 20652 Laguna Canyon Road.
This person is called an ADA Coordinator.
They have training about the rights of people with disabilities.
They will have some more work to do for the ASL shelter.
Some people with disabilities may need to ask for extra support for their disability.
And some people may want to complain if they think the City of Laguna Beach or the police have treated them unfairly because of their disability.
The City of Laguna Beach has some rules for people to follow about this.
The City of Laguna Beach will make sure the police have these rules.
The City of Laguna Beach will make rules like this for the ASL shelter.
These rules will be at the ASL shelter for people to see.
People with disabilities can ask the ASL shelter to change something if they think it won't work for people with disabilities.
For example, this could be some rules about the shelter.
Staff at the ASL shelter have to look at what people with disabilities ask for and see if it is possible.
People with disabilities can say if they don't agree with the ASL shelter's decision.
They can tell the ADA Coordinator. This person works for the City Of Laguna Beach.
The ADA Coordinator will tell staff at the ASL shelter to change the decision if they think it is wrong.
The City of Laguna Beach and staff at the ASL shelter will help people with disabilities know about these rights.
There will be some support for people with disabilities at the ASL shelter:
Or transport to another shelter that has private areas to sleep in.
The ASL shelter will test this out first.
You can't get money from this agreement or court case.
But you can find out more or say you are unhappy with the agreement.
You can look at this website for more information:
The website will give you:
To ask questions about the agreement you can:
Call this number and leave a message:
714-221-2788
Send a letter to:
Glover Plaintiffs' Class Counsel
c/o ACLU of Southern California
1313 West 8th Street
Los Angeles CA 90017
Or send an email to:
You must put something in writing to say which parts you don't agree with and why.
You must do this by: September 17, 2018
You must also include:
You must sign your name on your paper.
Please mail your paper to:
Glover Class Counsel
c/o ACLU of Southern California
1313 West 8th Street
Los Angeles CA 90017
Your paper will be seen by the judge and some lawyers working on the case.
If the court says yes to the agreement, then it will happen. You can't change it.
The court will meet to decide if the agreement will happen on November 5, 2018
This date may change.
There will be information about the date on the websites we gave you before.
Some people who are unhappy with the agreement may be able to speak at the meeting if the court agrees.
The court address is:
U.S. Federal District Court, Courtroom 10 D
411 West 4th Street
Santa Ana, CA 92701-4516
Learn more about the Glover v. City of Laguna Beach case.