Dorothy Johnson v. Memphis Light, Gas & Water Div.

OPINION

JANE B. STRANCH, Circuit Judge.

J. Dean Johnson was denied utility services by Memphis Light, Gas & Water (MLGW), a division of the City of Memphis, in February 2010 because he did not possess a state-issued photo identification card. Mr. Johnson, who lacked a birth certificate, was illiterate and had intellectual disabilities that made it difficult for him to navigate the process of obtaining the necessary state identification. He lived without utilities for over eighteen months and died of heat stroke in August 2011. Plaintiffs — his wife and sister — sued MLGW bringing claims under…