By: HISTORY.com Editors
WABC-TV airs Willowbrook documentary exposing horrible conditions
On February 2, 1972, WABC-TV Channel 7 New York airs a documentary by investigative reporter Geraldo Rivera revealing intense overcrowding, dangerous conditions and frequent abuse of patients at Willowbrook State School, a facility on Staten Island housing roughly 5,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities.
When New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy visited Willowbrook in 1965, he compared it to a “snake pit,” with residents “living in filth and dirt, their clothing in rags, in rooms less comfortable and cheerful than the cages in which we put animals in a zoo.” The state of New York developed a five-year improvement plan, but conditions quickly deteriorated by the early 1970s.
The Staten Island Advance series published an investigative series on Willowbrook in 1971. According to a February 1972 New York Times article, Dr. Michael Wilkins, an ousted Willowbrook staff member and whistleblower, also began granting facility access to local TV channels and, eventually, Rivera. In his WABC-TV story—titled “Willowbrook: The Last Great Disgrace”—Rivera filmed patients in “uncontrolled conditions” at the state-run institution.
The documentary drew widespread attention, appalling viewers and sparking a national outcry. There was roughly one attendant for every 50 children, many of whom sat unclothed in the ward throughout the day. As the Times recounted, the only sound picked up by Rivera’s technicians “was something of an eerie communal wail.” Rivera said in his voice-over narration, “This is what it looked like. This is what it sounded like. But how can I tell you about the way it smelled? It smelled of filth, it smelled of disease, and it smelled of death.”
Parents of Willowbrook residents filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on March 17, 1972. Alleging the institution violated the constitutional rights of its residents, they pointed to issues ranging from the indefinite confinement of residents to overcrowding to inadequate clothing and meals. The case went to trial in October 1974 and was settled in April 1975, prompting U.S. District Court Judge Orrin G. Judd to issue the Willowbrook Consent Judgment. It established new standards of care and improved facility operations.
Willowbrook closed its doors in 1987, but the impact of Rivera’s exposé was far-reaching. Public outrage over conditions at Willowbrook and similar state-run institutions spurred the enactment of federal legislation, including the Protection and Advocacy System in the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (1975); the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (1975); and the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act of 1980.
These laws helped lay the foundation for the later passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), a U.S. Civil Rights law prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities.
Also on This Day in History
Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on February 2nd
Related
1970s
8 videos
For six days in 1971, nine college students were locked in a fake prison. The outcome was shocking.
Passage of the ERA seemed like a sure thing. So why did it fail to become law?
The 1971 revolt at the Attica Correctional Facility left an indelible mark on the prisoners’ rights movement.
About the author
HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Christian Zapata, Cristiana Lombardo and Adrienne Donica.
Fact Check
We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.
Citation Information
- Article Title
- WABC-TV airs Willowbrook documentary exposing horrible conditions
- Author
- HISTORY.com Editors
- Website Name
- History
- Date Accessed
- October 29, 2026
- Publisher
- A&E Television Networks
- Last Updated
- July 16, 2025
- Original Published Date
- July 16, 2025
