09/07/2026
A federal appeals court has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit from Jackson, Mississippi residents who accused city officials of knowingly allowing people to drink lead-contaminated water for months.
According to the lawsuit, residents were allegedly kept in the dark about the contamination and were even instructed to boil their water — something that can actually concentrate lead rather than remove it.
Fifth Circuit Judge Kurt Engelhardt acknowledged the alleged deprivation of clean water was “grievous,” but ruled that it did not violate a deeply rooted constitutional right.
The court also ruled that residents do not have a constitutional right to receive truthful information from government officials during a public health crisis.
