Federal District Court Allows Foster Youth Civil Rights Lawsuit to Proceed 

Munger, Tolles & Olson, together with Public Counsel, the Alliance for Children’s Rights and Children’s Rights, secured a significant ruling allowing a federal civil rights lawsuit brought by seven Los Angeles County foster youth and young adults to proceed.  

In Ocean S. et al. v. Los Angeles County et al., the plaintiffs allege systemic failures by Los Angeles County and California state agencies to provide transition-age foster youth with safe housing, behavioral health services and other essential support. 

On September 23, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California largely denied motions by the County and State defendants to dismiss the plaintiffs’ Second Amended Complaint. The ruling allows the plaintiffs to proceed with claims involving disability discrimination, violations of their procedural and substantive due process rights and violations of their right to behavioral health care services under the Medicaid Act. 

The lawsuit was filed in August 2023 on behalf of seven foster youth and young adults between the ages of 16 and 21. The plaintiffs allege that systemic deficiencies in Los Angeles County’s foster care system have subjected transition-age youth to homelessness, housing instability, repeated placement disruptions and barriers to accessing critical mental health services. 

The district court’s ruling follows the Ninth Circuit’s May 2026 decision clearing the way for the case to proceed in federal court. The plaintiffs may now continue pursuing reforms intended to ensure that transition-age foster youth receive safe housing, equal treatment, due process and access to medically necessary services. 

The MTO team that worked on this motion includes Grant Davis-Denny, William Temko, Peter Gratzinger, Carl Jiang and Caleb Peiffer.