News & Press

MFY Joins Civil Rights Complaint against Success Academy Charter Schools

MFY joined with other advocates and New York City elected officials in a complaint to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights asserting that Success Academy has violated the rights of students with disabilities by failing to identify them or provide reasonable accommodations, by coercing them to leave Success Academy when they require …

Victims of Debt Collection Scheme Win $59 Million Settlement

MFY Legal Services, the New Economy Project and Emery Celli Brinkerhoff & Abady settled a class action lawsuit yesterday on behalf of more than 300,000 victims of abusive debt collection practices in New York State for $59 million. In addition to the fund, some 190,000 judgments are to be vacated.

MFY and Elected Officials Demand Justice for Security Guard with Disabilities

New York City Council Member Annabel Palma, Assembly Member Luis Sepulveda and MFY Legal Services joined forces to advocate for a security guard who was discriminated against and fired after he requested a reasonable accommodation from his employer for his Tourette’s and epilepsy conditions. A complaint of discrimination is pending with the federal Equal Employment …

MFY Comments on Problems with Debt Cases in the Courts

An article in the ABA Journal, Debt-buying industry and lax court review are burying defendants in defaults, provides an overview of the problem of default judgments in debt cases and highlights new practices in several states. MFY Supervising Attorney Carolyn Coffey comments on New York’s backlog in filing documents required by debt buyers seeking default …

MFY Publishes New Guide for Caregivers Going to Family Court

Appearing in Family Court is a difficult experience for many caregivers. MFY’s new guide, Family Court 101: What Caregivers Should Know before Going to Family Court, provides practical advice on how to prepare for the appearance, navigate the court system, and understand the language of the law. It is especially useful for kinship caregivers seeking …

MFY: Seniors Need Greater Protections when Assisted Living Facilities Close

Kevin Cremin, MFY’s Director of Litigation for Aging & Disability Rights, comments that New York State’s Department of Health rules on closures of assisted living facilities fail to protect seniors, even those who have lived in these residences for many years. An article in The Atlantic Citylab explores what happens when seniors can’t count on …

MFY Supports City Legislation to Reform Buildings Department

As part of the citywide Stand for Tenant Safety Coalition, MFY stood with 200 representatives of housing and community organizations on the steps of City Hall to support a package of 12 bills being introduced in the City Council to address negligent response time from the Department of Buildings (DOB), insufficient services from DOB, safety …

MFY: Nursing Homes are Failing NYS Residents

In an article in City and State New York, MFY attorney Nahid Sorooshyari explains how the state’s failure to properly administer the Nursing Home Transition and Diversion waiver program traps hundreds of seniors and people with disabilities in nursing homes who are capable of living independently in the community with appropriate supports.

Narco Freedom Residents to Get New Providers

MFY organizer Paulette Soltani’s comments on a judge’s decision to transition Narco Freedom residents to two new providers were featured in a recent CBS News report on the massive fraud case that landed Narco Freedom’s operators in jail and left hundreds of residents in housing limbo. Soltani commented that the decision is “a promising plan …

Trapped in Nursing Homes, People with Disabilities File Class Action Lawsuit Charging Violation of Constitutional Rights

Four people with disabilities filed a class action lawsuit in federal court against the New York State Department of Health (DOH), DOH Commissioner Howard Zucker, and Visiting Nurse Association Health Care, Inc. to challenge the illegal administration of a program that was designed, but failed, to facilitate the plaintiffs’ transition from nursing homes to their …

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