Home Economy Government R.I. Supreme Court rules state officials not immune in Civil Rights lawsuits

R.I. Supreme Court rules state officials not immune in Civil Rights lawsuits

By

Christopher Allen

-

07/06/2026

THE R.I. SUPREME COURT HAS ruled that state officials cannot claim immunity from lawsuits brought under the Rhode Island Civil Rights Act.. / COURTESY R.I. DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the state and its officials cannot claim immunity from lawsuits filed under the Rhode Island Civil Rights Act approved by the General Assembly in 1990. Finding that discrimination claims under RICRA should be classified as “torts” under state law and thereby waiving state immunity protection, the

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PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the state and its officials cannot claim immunity from lawsuits filed under the Rhode Island Civil Rights Act approved by the General Assembly in 1990. Finding that discrimination claims under RICRA should be classified as "torts" under state law and thereby waiving state immunity protection, the July 3 ruling stems from a case initially brought before federal court last year by incarcerated individuals Luther C. Parente and Eric L. Stewart, two inmates at the Adult Correctional Institutions who assert that the R.I. Department of Corrections discriminated against them due to their disabilities. They alleged that the state willfully disregarded and exacerbated their existing medical issues in violation of both RICRA and federal laws. The R.I. Attorney General's office had maintained that the state holds constitutional sovereign immunity from such lawsuits under the Eleventh Amendment, which protects government officials from lawsuits brought by private citizens. The National ACLU, along with the ACLU of Rhode Island Inc., submitted an amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs arguing that shielding state officials from liability under RICRA would defeat the law's essential purpose and leave victims of discrimination by state actors without any legal remedies. Lynette Labinger, a cooperating attorney with the ACLU of Rhode Island who submitted the brief along with ACLU national attorneys Terry Ding and Matthew Segal, said that the court's ruling aligns with the General Assembly's intent to safeguard Rhode Island residents from discrimination, regardless of whether it comes from government entities or private individuals and businesses. “With this matter resolved, we hope the Attorney General's Office will actively uphold these protections rather than seeking to undermine them,” said Labinger. Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.