Roche v Lebraun

## Roche v. Lebraun 404 U.S. 6

### Performers

F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG (also known as Roche), Tanya Lebraun, a metahuman capable of healing

### Date

Hearings beginning in 1973, decision reached in early 1974

### Location

Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta Georgia

Roche V Lebraun is a landmark legal case in the United States, involving Roche Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics company suing Tanya Lebraun, a metahuman healer. The court ruled that it was illegal for metahumans with healing capabilities to utilize their powers unless they were a licensed medical practitioner.

## Description

On October 23rd of 1973, Tanya Lebraun, a 44 year old African American woman, entered the Grady Memorial Hospital. There, she proceeded to heal the broken arm of a 23 year old man, and the pneumonia of a 67 year old woman, alongside the afflictions of other patients in the emergency room. Following a press official’s arrival, Lebraun would proceed to speak about inequality in the hospital, particularly in the distribution of drugs, citing a noticeable difference in quality between those administered to white patrons and those of colored individuals.

Roche Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics, a notable partner of the Hospital in regards to funding and drug distribution, would sue Lebraun on the grounds of reputational damage due to both Lebraun’s slander but also her unwarranted healing of patients. This case eventually reached the Supreme Court, where after several months of hearings, discussion and trial, the Court would rule in favor of Roche. The fatal blow came in the form of the prosecution's argument that, just because someone can heal, doesn’t mean that they should, citing the numerous cases where untrained individuals have performed surgery or issued medicine correctly. Lebraun, by not having a proper license, illegally performed medicine. In agreement with this point, the court would additionally decree that Healers of Class 2 or higher--who wished to exercise their powers on others--would henceforth be required to hold a degree in medicine on par with that of a doctor. Healers of Class 1 would be permitted to use their powers more freely, however only if they possessed CPR certification, which would have to be renewed regularly.

In 1978, Lebraun would attempt to request an appeal on the case, and a rehearing would be scheduled for March of 1979. However, before the first trial could be held, Lebraun would become the victim of racially-motivated violence, being lynched by several members of Klu Klux Klan. Lebraun’s children would decline from holding the trial in her stead, and the case would be dropped.

## Impact

Roche v. Lebraun would be a landmark decision in regards to healers in the United States. Following the decision, all Healers--in order to make use of their powers on others--were required to hold a medical degree. Public healing also developed a taboo in the public eye, leading to healers becoming ostracized by the public, a poor image that is still expressed to a lesser extent in the modern day.

Despite some calls for it, the case has been denied repeal on multiple occasions following the 1979 dropping. The most recent repeal request being in 2019.