A judge has refused to dismiss portions of a sweeping lawsuit against state and local officials in the Flint water crisis.
Residents who drank lead-tainted water can continue to press ahead with their claim that their right to "bodily integrity" was spoiled by the disastrous decision to distribute water that wasn't treated to reduce corrosion.
Federal Judge Judith Levy in Ann Arbor says residents so far have sufficiently argued that the conduct of government officials "was so egregious as to shock the conscience" — a key legal standard. The judge dismissed other parts of the lawsuit Monday.
The lawsuit is one of many in the Flint water mess. For 18 months, the city used the Flint River, but the corrosive water caused lead to leach from old pipes.
