Judge Approves Class Action Lawsuit Against Salvation Army Over Addiction Medication Ban

Case Overview: A federal judge has approved a class action lawsuit against the Salvation Army, alleging the charity discriminates against individuals with opioid use disorder by banning them from treatment programs if they use medication-assisted treatment (MAT).

Consumers Affected: Individuals with opioid use disorder who have been denied or expelled from Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Centers (ARCs) due to their use of doctor-prescribed MAT.

Court: U.S. District Court for the District Of Massachusetts

A federal judge has greenlit a class action lawsuit against the Salvation Army, accusing the Christian charity of discriminating against people with opioid use disorder by barring them from its treatment programs if they take certain medications that are widely considered the gold standard in addiction care.

The lawsuit, originally filed in 2021 by Massachusetts resident Mark Tassinari, claims the Salvation Army’s national network of Adult Rehabilitation Centers (ARCs)—which the organization calls the “largest provider of residential drug and alcohol abuse treatment” in the country—denies services to people using doctor-prescribed medication-assisted treatment (MAT), including methadone and buprenorphine. 

U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin ruled on March 26 that the suit can proceed as a class action, potentially impacting thousands across the country, Stat News reports.

Salvation Army Accused of Barring Patients Using Addiction Medication

Tassinari, who was 35 when he filed the lawsuit, said he was expelled from a Salvation Army ARC facility in 2018 after testing positive for buprenorphine, a medication prescribed by his doctor to treat OUD. 

He was participating in the program as a condition of probation. Despite the prescription being legal and medically necessary, the organization kicked him out and denied him housing—sending him back to the streets where he relapsed and faced housing instability.

In a second attempt to re-enter the program in 2021, Tassinari again disclosed that he was on buprenorphine. The Salvation Army told him he could only participate if he stopped taking the medication.

The lawsuit alleges that this policy violates the Americans with Disabilities Act by effectively excluding people with a recognized disability—opioid use disorder (OUD)—if they choose evidence-based treatment.

Plaintiff Alleges Expulsion and Denial of Housing Due to Prescribed Treatment

Tassinari’s experience inside the ARC, according to the court filing, paints a stark picture of the treatment environment. Participants were denied access to doctors, prohibited from seeking medical care or picking up prescriptions, and subjected to a “lockdown” period that left them without outside contact.

Even when his probation officer intervened to help him see his doctor, Tassinari says he was expelled after taking his legally prescribed dose. He argues there was no consideration of his medical needs or attempts to accommodate him. Once removed from the program, he spiraled—homeless, relapsing, and eventually hospitalized.

Case Highlights Debate Over Medication-Assisted Treatment in Recovery

The case could have sweeping consequences for addiction treatment across the U.S. If successful, it may set a legal precedent requiring organizations—religious or otherwise—that offer publicly accessible rehab services to accept patients using MAT, which is backed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and countless medical experts, the lawsuit states.

Addiction specialists have long pushed for MAT to become more accessible. Methadone and buprenorphine reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, and are linked to lower overdose and death rates. But stigma and misinformation persist—especially in abstinence-based programs like the Salvation Army’s, where “medication” is often seen as “not really sober.”

The class action lawsuit seeks damages and injunctive relief for others like Tassinari.

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Tassinari v. The Salvation Army National Corporation, et al.
• Case Number: 1:21-cv-10806-LTS
• Court: U.S. District Court for the District Of Massachusetts 

Plaintiffs' Attorneys

• Benjamin Elga, Lucy B. Bansal, and Janet Herold (Justice Catalyst Law)
• Martha M. Lafferty and Amy F. Robertson (Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center)

What are your thoughts on the Salvation Army's policy regarding addiction medication? Share your views below.