A divided federal appeals court has declared that Jackson, Mississippi residents cannot sue city officials under the 14th Amendment for lead-contaminated drinking water. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals also ruled that public officials have no constitutional duty to provide truthful information during a “public-health crisis.”
In a 10-to-5 decision, the court upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit known as Sterling v. City of Jackson. The case began in 2022 when four plaintiffs—Priscilla Sterling, Raine Becker, Shawn Miller, and John Bennett—alleged that city officials knew about serious lead contamination problems but misled residents.
According to litigation documents, water testing showed lead levels in Jackson rising sharply between 2010 and 2013. By 2013, the plaintiffs claimed the city was aware that low-pH water and a malfunctioning lime treatment system were causing lead to leach from aging pipes.
A federal district court initially dismissed the constitutional claims in 2024. However, a three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit revived much of the case in November 2025 after finding it plausibly implicated residents’ right to bodily integrity. The full court later reheard the matter.
Judge Kurt Engelhardt wrote for the majority that the Constitution does not guarantee clean water and that states are under no constitutional duty to provide public services “competently.” He rejected arguments that lead-contaminated water violated the right to bodily integrity or that officials’ deception constituted a violation of informed consent. The court also found no historical basis for a constitutional right to truthful information from officials during health emergencies.
Five judges dissented, arguing the case involved a “state-created danger” doctrine and that the Constitution protects bodily integrity in such contexts.