Grieving families and survivors of a deadly 2025 Legionnaires' disease outbreak have filed lawsuits against New York City, demanding action from Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The legal actions, unveiled by the Rev. Al Sharpton and civil rights attorney Ben Crump, include wrongful death claims for five of the seven individuals who died during the Harlem outbreak. The lawsuits contend that city officials and contractors failed to address Legionella bacteria in cooling towers at city-owned buildings, including the Public Health Lab and Harlem Hospital, leading to over 100 infections.
Among those who died were Ronald Israel, Clara Rodriguez, Edgar Tatum Jr., and Rachel Tew. Lakisha Power, whose fiancée Bruce Scott died at Harlem Hospital, recounted the devastating loss.
Two additional lawsuits cover surviving victims and accuse the city, New York City Health + Hospital, the city’s Economic Development Corporation, Skanska USA Building, and four contractors of negligence and maintaining a public nuisance. These filings follow similar actions initiated last year that also pointed to city-owned buildings under the previous administration.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump urged Mayor Mamdani to resolve the matter for the families, noting that while his administration has taken swift action on a recent Legionnaires' cluster on the Upper East Side, the Harlem families deserve similar attention.
"Now, while we applaud Mamdani’s expeditious efforts to address and stop the Legionnaires’ outbreak on the Upper East Side just last month, we urge Mamdani and the city to properly resolve this matter with these families," Crump stated. "These are people who were injured, are killed as a result of this negligence, and the survivors and the families of the deceased deserve to have this matter resolved."
The Rev. Al Sharpton echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the importance of equal value placed on public health across all boroughs. "Our lives mean something," Sharpton said. "If Legionnaires' disease was bad in one part of town, it should be valued the same in every part. And that is what this is about."
A spokesperson for the city’s law department stated that officials prioritize public health and safety and will review the legal cases. "Protecting public health and safety is at the center of the City’s response," the spokesperson said. "We will carefully review these cases."