Kaci Hickox drops lawsuit for ‘Bill of Rights’ in quarantine cases

Judy Harrison, Special to The County
7 years ago

A former Maine nurse who was quarantined in New Jersey when she returned to the U.S. from treating Ebola patients in Africa in 2014 has settled her lawsuit against the governor, according to filings in U.S. District Court in Newark, New Jersey. 

In exchange for dismissal of the complaint filed in federal court in Newark, Gov. Chris Christie’s administration agreed to new rules that will guarantee quarantine only occurs after exposure to the Ebola virus when medically necessary, the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents Hickox, said in a news release Friday.

“The settlement of Kaci Hickox’s lawsuit creates a new ‘Bill of Rights’ for individuals subject to possible quarantine or isolation in New Jersey and sets a model for other states to replicate,” Hickox’s attorney, Norman Siegel of New York City, said in the release.

New Jersey Attorney General Christopher Porrino said in statement to the NJ.com that the “supplemental protocols” that were reached as part of the settlement were “consistent with existing law and regulations.”

The County is pleased to feature content from our sister company, Bangor Daily News. To read the rest of “Kaci Hickox drops lawsuit for ‘Bill of Rights’ in quarantine cases,” an article by contributing Bangor Daily News staff writer Judy Harrison, please follow this link to the BDN online.