Boler et al v Earley et al
28 July 2017
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Case nos. 16-1684/17-1144
Date: 28 July 2017
Judges: Cole, Chief Judge; Stranch and Donald, Circuit Judges
This matter relates to the Flint water contamination crisis of 2015/16. It is preceded by a report by the Michigan Civil Rights Commission entitled The Flint Crisis: Systemic Racism Through the Lens of Flint (17 February 2017) in which it was found that the Flint water crisis was “the result of systemic racism.”
In this matter, the plaintiffs, Flint residents affected by the water crisis, filed suit against Flint officials based on multiple causes of action, including gross negligence and constitutional provisions such as the Equal Protection Clause, the Contract Clause and the Due Process Clause. The District Court held that claims were preempted by the Safe Water Drinking Act (SWDA).
On appeal, the Appeals Court overturned the District Court’s finding. It found that the constitutional rights relied on by the plaintiffs diverged significantly from the rights and protections provided for in the SWDA.