By Ben Solis
Gongwer News Service
A lawsuit between a Detroit health nonprofit and the Department of Health and Human Services, involving the agency's failure to provide Freedom of Information Act request disclosures, was quietly dismissed last Tuesday from the Court of Claims.
The lawsuit, Central City Integrated Health v. DHHS (COC Docket No. 24-000186), alleged that the plaintiff asked the department for all communications, text messages and emails received or sent by Carissa Rumps and Patrick Daniels from the DHHS Office of Inspector General related to the plaintiff and its president and CEO, Kimberly Farrow. The request included communications between those individuals but also the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network and its corporate compliance officer, Sheree Jackson.
Farrow took over as CEO for the plaintiff organization in 2020 after it was alleged that former leadership and staff participated in malfeasance, mismanagement, gross negligence, fraud and "other improprieties committed against our nonprofit organization," Crain's Detroit Business reported.
The lawsuit alleged that the day after the request was made in September, it was denied by DHHS, which claimed the records sought were investigatory in nature and were compiled for law enforcement purposes. Disclosure would therefore interfere with law enforcement proceedings and disclose law enforcement investigative techniques and procedures, DHHS said.
Central City Integrated Health filed the lawsuit in November 2024 and called the lack of disclosure a capricious violation of the FOIA statute (See Gongwer Michigan Report, November 15, 2024)
However, this month, the parties stipulated to dismiss the case with prejudice without costs, interest or attorneys' fees to either party.
Court of Claims Judge Sima Patel signed the order last Tuesday.
Gongwer News Service
A lawsuit between a Detroit health nonprofit and the Department of Health and Human Services, involving the agency's failure to provide Freedom of Information Act request disclosures, was quietly dismissed last Tuesday from the Court of Claims.
The lawsuit, Central City Integrated Health v. DHHS (COC Docket No. 24-000186), alleged that the plaintiff asked the department for all communications, text messages and emails received or sent by Carissa Rumps and Patrick Daniels from the DHHS Office of Inspector General related to the plaintiff and its president and CEO, Kimberly Farrow. The request included communications between those individuals but also the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network and its corporate compliance officer, Sheree Jackson.
Farrow took over as CEO for the plaintiff organization in 2020 after it was alleged that former leadership and staff participated in malfeasance, mismanagement, gross negligence, fraud and "other improprieties committed against our nonprofit organization," Crain's Detroit Business reported.
The lawsuit alleged that the day after the request was made in September, it was denied by DHHS, which claimed the records sought were investigatory in nature and were compiled for law enforcement purposes. Disclosure would therefore interfere with law enforcement proceedings and disclose law enforcement investigative techniques and procedures, DHHS said.
Central City Integrated Health filed the lawsuit in November 2024 and called the lack of disclosure a capricious violation of the FOIA statute (See Gongwer Michigan Report, November 15, 2024)
However, this month, the parties stipulated to dismiss the case with prejudice without costs, interest or attorneys' fees to either party.
Court of Claims Judge Sima Patel signed the order last Tuesday.
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