Williams v. Axelrod
Deon Williams, a two-year-old with sickle-cell anemia, was a participant in the WIC program. His benefits were terminated after his mother, Doris Williams, had a physical altercation with a caseworker at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital. An Administrative Law Judge upheld the termination, but Deon Williams, through his mother, initiated a CPLR Article 78 proceeding against David Axelrod, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, seeking reinstatement of his benefits. The court found that Deon met all eligibility requirements and should not be penalized for his mother's actions, citing judicial precedents that protect children from losing public assistance due to parental misconduct. The court ultimately held that the ALJ's determination was arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law, ordering the reinstatement of Deon Williams' WIC certification and restoration of withheld benefits.