Department of Justice attorney talks with town leaders

By Angela Hatcher
WSLS10 Reporter/Anchor
Published: July 22, 2008

The Department of Justice gets involved after a local town denies a woman’s request to take in two mentally challenged adults.

Shirley Wimbish asked Gretna town council for a special use permit to house the two, with her family,  at a home on Washington Street.
   
Neighbors say Wimbish would be running a business and it doesn’t belong in their neighborhood.

“I have a sister who is mentally retarded so we certainly are not prejudiced against mentally retarded people.“, says Shirley Hammond.

The town is not being sued by the DOJ.

However an attorney from the department was in town Tuesday and supplied town leaders with a copy of court opinion against a city in Michigan where a similar request was denied.

The town manager will now decide if Wimbish’s request would cause any more harm to the neighborhood than any other business run out of a home.

He can either give her the go ahead or turn the request back over to the planning commission.