Opinion ID: 4536379
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Shekter-Smith

Text: Liane Shekter-Smith was the MDEQ Chief of the Office of Drinking Water and Municipal Assistance. Despite knowing that Flint River water presented health risks, see R. 620- 3 (Fourth Am. Compl. at 40, ¶ 105) (Page ID #17843), she secured the necessary administrative consent order (or ACO) and rushed the switch to the Flint River before the FWTP was ready, see id. at 45–46, ¶ 128 (Page ID #17848–49). When reports poured in from residents that something was wrong with the water and that it was making them ill, she did nothing. See id. at 57, ¶¶ 165– Nos. 19-1425/1472/1477/1533 Waid et al. v. Snyder et al. Page 28 67 (Page ID #17860). After privately suggesting that the water might be contaminated, id. at 85, ¶ 252 (Page ID #17888), she publicly combatted the GCHD’s legionella analysis, id. at 85–86, ¶¶ 252–53 (Page ID #17888–89). And she did nothing to mitigate the crisis even after the Del Toral Report blew the whistle on high lead levels in Flint’s water. Id. at 87–88, ¶¶ 259–62 (Page ID #17890–91). Her alleged role in creating, failing to mitigate, and covering up the crisis plausibly demonstrates deliberate indifference.