Ocean Springs to Pay Hundreds of Thousands to Psycamore

Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice approved the $437,500 settlement and filed the decree in U.S. District Court for a lawsuit between the owners of Psycamore Psychiatric Clinic and the City of Ocean Springs.

Psycamore was denied a permit in 2011 by the City of Ocean Springs. Psycamore claimed their clinic and clients’ civil rights were denied under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) Jackson County Judge, Robert Krebs, ruled in favor of Psycamore and the Mississippi Supreme Court upheld the decision. City representatives and the U.S. Department of Justice met to settle on paying Psycamore $437,500 to cover damages and costs of the suit.

Connie Moran, Mayor of Ocean Springs, says, “We’re very glad to have it behind us after three years and we are dealing with it. It could have been a lot worse in terms of the damages paid. Of course, there was never a fine place on the city by the U.S. Department of Justice, so we’re grateful for that too.”

Ocean Springs’ elected officials will undergo several hours of training. The settlement will be paid for with reserve funds.