McDaniel v. Syed

Plaintiff, the estate of a deceased individual, filed a lawsuit against the Wisconsin Department of Corrections alleging that the defendant violated the decedent’s rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act while he was incarcerated. Plaintiff also brought an Eighth Amendment claim against the prison physician, alleging that he was deliberately indifferent to the decedent’s medical needs. The district court granted summary judgment for the defendants and plaintiff appealed. The Seventh Circuit affirmed in part and reversed in part, finding that the district court properly granted summary judgment for several claims against the DOC and the claim against the physician, but reversed summary judgment on plaintiff’s claim that the DOC wrongfully refused to assign the decedent to a unit without stairs. (JACKSON-AKIWUMI, concurring and BRENNAN, concurring in part and dissenting in part)