Isaac Calland was a longtime, respected employee of New Light Recovery Center in Detroit where he counseled substance abusers. In March 2017, the State of Michigan directed the recovery center to terminate Mr. Calland’s employment because of a state law that prohibits anyone convicted of Medicaid fraud from working for a Medicaid provider.
As part of our work opposing overbroad felony employment bans due their unjustified disparate impact on people of color, the ACLU of Michigan investigated Mr. Calland’s case and found that his only conviction was for unlawful receipt of food stamps, an offense that has nothing to do with Medicaid fraud.
In April 2017, we wrote a letter to the state highlighting its error, and Mr. Calland was reinstated to his position.
(ACLU of Michigan Attorney Mark Fancher.)