COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A disability advocacy organization has sued the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health, accusing the agency of withholding records tied to alleged abuse and neglect at its facilities, including one in which a patient died.

Disability Rights Ohio filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on Oct. 7, demanding access to records related to an investigation it is conducting.

The lawsuit accuses the department of breaking federal and state law by not providing the records. Disability Rights Ohio is the state’s federally designated Protection and Advocacy System, which grants it the authority to investigate incidents of maltreatment against residents with disabilities at treatment facilities.

“While we value and respect the role of the

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