Avert Rolland Tragedy

People Worth Protecting

Background & Overview

• Seven Hills Pediatric Center »

• The De-Institualization Movement »

• Rolland Vs. Patrick Settlement Agreement »

• The Opposition By The Seven Hills Families »

• Our Outrage »

• Our Thanks »

Sign Our Petition

Please go to The Petition Site and sign our petition and show the world you care.

In this, and the next few pages, we want to provide general information on the Seven Hills Pediatric Center and a brief history of the legal struggles we are facing to protect our family members. This is not a fight we can win alone, any and all support you can lend to help our cause is greatly appreciated.

Rolland Vs. Patrick Settlement Agreement

The families of long-term patients at Seven Hills Pediatric Center, then Children’s Extended Care Center, were supposed to have been informed that their children had been classified as plaintiffs in the Rolland suit and that they were supposedly being represented in that suit by Attorney Steven Schwartz and the Center for Public Representation. However, none of the parents received information about this. The family members and guardians of adult residents at the Center learned of the Rolland case only in May of 2008, at which point the Patrick Administration had agreed to a new Settlement Agreement {to download the PDF file click here} under which the state has committed itself to moving at least 80% of the remaining members of the Rolland plaintiff class, numbering 800 individuals and including 51 adult residents at Seven Hills Pediatric Center, into community settings. Seven Hills Pediatric Center is excluded from the category “community setting” for reasons that were not explained to the families. The families were told that under the settlement, their loved ones can be moved if this is the judgment reached by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Retardation, and that they would have the right to appeal a decision with which they disagreed, but families have no guarantee of being able to prevent their family member from being moved even if the family and doctor believe this endangers the individual’s life.

Background Part 4:
The Opposition By The Seven Hills Families »

© 2008-2013 Seven Hills Pediatric Center Family Council
* These pages constitute a repository of recent historical information and no longer concern an active suit.