Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of V.T., the mother and guardian of J.P., a nonverbal autistic man alleging that Life’s WORC — a nonprofit organization operating group homes for people with developmental disabilities — subjected her son to years of abuse, overmedication, and neglect while he lived at its East Islip residence.

Filed in the Eastern District of New York, the complaint describes what it calls a pattern of systemic mistreatment by both staff and management. According to the lawsuit, staff physically restrained J.P. using his own clothing, kicked and punched him, and falsified medical records to justify dangerously high doses of medication intended to sedate him into a “zombie-like” state. The lawsuit alleges that at one point, J.P. was so heavily medicated that he had to be hospitalized while unresponsive and strapped to a wheelchair.

The complaint further claims that J.P. suffered a black eye after allegedly being assaulted in his bedroom, and required stitches after a staff member allegedly punched him in the face during a van outing. Staff allegedly left him unattended, dressed him in swimwear during inappropriate weather conditions, and failed to address serious medical concerns — including extreme constipation and a metal object found lodged in his colon.

According to the lawsuit, when videos documenting the abuse began circulating and reporters started investigating, senior leadership — including a Vice President and a Senior Residential Services executive — allegedly instructed staff to delete evidence from their phones, including videos and text messages. While two lower-level managers were later fired, the lawsuit claims that one of the senior officials involved in the cover-up was promoted.

“What happened to my son was not just neglect — it was cruelty,” said V.T., the mother and guardian of J.P. “I trusted Life’s WORC to keep him safe, to treat him with dignity, and to support his needs as a person with severe autism. Instead, they allowed him to be abused, overmedicated, and ignored, while the people responsible were protected or even promoted. I fought every day to get answers, and now I’m fighting to make sure no other family has to go through what we did.”

“Life’s WORC was entrusted with J.P.’s safety and well-being, yet instead of providing the care required by law and basic human decency, they subjected him to repeated abuse, neglect, and overmedication,” said Ilann M. Maazel, counsel for the plaintiff and Partner at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP. “This wasn’t the result of a few bad actors — it was a systemic failure, driven by a deliberate effort to shield the institution at the expense of one of its most vulnerable residents.”

“Life’s WORC exists for one purpose: to protect and care for people like J.P. Instead, they became his abusers,” said Eric Abrams, counsel for the plaintiff and Associate at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP. “This wasn’t a one-time failure, but rather a systemic campaign of overmedication, physical and emotional abuse, and institutional cover-ups against a completely defenseless person. Life’s WORC didn’t just fail at their job—they exploited the very vulnerability they were paid to safeguard. It is unlawful and reprehensible, and we intend to hold them fully accountable.”

Additional allegations in the lawsuit include:

staff calling J.P. racial slurs and forcing him to do push-ups and jumping jacks as punishment;

management instructing staff to lie to state investigators and forge behavior logs to justify high medication dosages;

and staff tying J.P.’s shirt sleeves together like a straitjacket and gripping his arms so hard that bruises and fingerprints were left behind.

The lawsuit brings claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the Fair Housing Act, New York Human Rights Law, and state tort law. It seeks compensatory and punitive damages for years of physical, emotional, and psychological harm.

PRESS: “Prosecutors Investigating Group Home Accused in Lawsuit of Abusing Queens Autistic Man” – New York Daily News
“Autistic Man from Queens Suffered Years of Abuse at Group Home : Lawsuit” – New York Daily News
“Lawsuit Alleges Abuse, Coverup at Suffolk County Group Home For Disabled Residents” – News 12, Long Island
“Autistic man from Queens suffered years of abuse at group home: lawsuit” – NY Daily News