Barajas & Rivera, APC

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Justice Ginsburg wrote many majority decisions during her tenure as a Supreme Court Justic...e, including the Olmstead Decision of 1999, a law protecting the right of people with intellectual disabilities to live in their communities. #RBG See more

Repost from @maria_town As a disabled woman, my life, my autonomy has been immeasurably shaped by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg work. Her efforts focused on gen...der equality and her affirmations of disability rights - through opinions like Olmstead v L.C which held that disabled people have a right to live in our communities and not in institutions - are among the things that literally make my life, and the lives of millions like me possible. Me, @aapdofficial, and so many others join the nation in mourning her death. https://www.aapd.com/press-rel/justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg/ #RIP #RBG #NotoriousRBG #KeepFighting

A new report by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights says the exemption (which allows employers to pay less than minimum wage to persons with disabilities) should be phased out, because it's been trapping workers in "exploitative and discriminatory" job programs.

A trailblazer and champion for gender equality, Justice Ginsburg inspired generations of women to speak boldly and know that they belong in all places where decisions are being made. RIP RBG

The recent Caster Semenya ruling reflects centuries of medical racism and bias against Black women’s bodies, disabled and non-disabled alike:

Too many people’s self-righteous obsession with policing disability does more day to day harm than actual disability fakery. Check out our FB page to read We Need To Stop Patrolling The Borders of Disability to read about scenarios like this one and the harm they can cause.

"There are real boundaries to the experience of disability, and measured scrutiny of disability claims is sometimes necessary. But too many people’s self-righteous obsession with policing disability does more day to day harm actual disability fakery. It’s time we all back off from these judgmental habits. That includes nondisabled people openly hostile to disability, but also some of our allies, and disabled people ourselves."

The American Bar Association, who’s mission is in part to promote justice and human dignity through the rule of law, passed a resolution urging governments to prohibit schools from using seclusion and mechanical or chemical restraints on students in preschool through 12th grade. Data shows us that students with disabilities and Black and brown students are disproportionately restrained and secluded at school. That’s why last month, Barajas & Rivera submitted a claim to Moreno Valley Unified School Districr on behalf of an 11 year old Black student with disabilities who was handcuffed 4-times in 4-months by school police for exhibiting disability-related behaviors. Our work towards creating safe schools, for every student, continues.

Barajas & Rivera believes in using the power of law to protect civil rights and to advance justice but we know that laws can only do so much. People’s attitudes must change for true inclusion to be achieved. #ADA30

It’s the 30the anniversary of the ADA.

A Change.org petition to surfaced this month in the wake of Barajas & Rivera submitting a tort claim to Moreno Valley USD on behalf our client, an 11-year-old Black student with disabilities, who was handcuffed and pinned to the floor at school by school police. View the petition and learn more about the handcuffing incident.

Maronel Barajas, partner at B&R, spoke with NBC LA about our client, an 11-year-old Black student who was hand cuffed and pinned to the floor at school, and his claim against the Moreno Valley School District.

Overzealous discipline policies, like those of Moreno Valley Unified School Dostrict, that place police into schools and encourage harsh tactics that push students, especially Black students with disabilities, out of the classroom and into the criminal justice system for conduct that is typical adolescent behavior, said Maronel Barajas, a partner at Barajas & Rivera.