The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court's dismissal of a 2022 lawsuit accusing Jackson, Mississippi officials of knowingly exposing residents to lead-contaminated tap water. Trump-appointed Judge Kurt Engelhardt ruled that no constitutional right to clean water or truthful government disclosure during a public health crisis exists, even though plaintiffs claimed city officials withheld information and issued boil-water notices that worsened lead exposure.
wired.com
· 2026-09-12
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld dismissal of a 2022 lawsuit brought by four Jackson residents who claimed the city's lead-tainted water supply violated their constitutional right to bodily integrity. Judge Kurt Engelhardt wrote that while the harm was serious, it did not fall under any established constitutional protection, and there is no constitutional right to truthful information from officials during a public health crisis.
usatoday.com
· 2026-09-07
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed dismissal of a lawsuit accusing Jackson, Mississippi officials of knowingly exposing residents to lead-contaminated water and withholding information about it. Judge Kurt Engelhardt ruled that no federal constitutional right to clean water or truthful government disclosure during a public health crisis exists, even though the plaintiffs called the harm 'grievous.' Jackson, a majority-Black city with high poverty rates, has struggled for years with an aging water system flagged for elevated lead levels since 2015.
motherjones.com
· 2026-09-06
GoKawiil