Allow memorial plaque for Willard state hospital grave-digger Lawrence Mocha!

The Issue

The New York State Office of Mental Health refuses to allow the Willard Cemetery Memorial Project to place a memorial plaque honoring unpaid patient grave-digger Lawrence Mocha (1878-1968), citing "confidentiality" issues. They are aware that every bit of information for the memorial plaque comes not from confidential medical records, but from publicly available records like the federal census and the social security death index. Still, they continue to block the memorial, rather than allow the Project to aknowledge his memory. We call upon OMH Commissioner Ann Sullivan to recognize that this man- and the thousands like him buried anonymously in state hospital cemeteries- deserves to be remembered. 

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Willard Cemetery Memorial ProjectPetition Starter
This petition had 627 supporters

The Issue

The New York State Office of Mental Health refuses to allow the Willard Cemetery Memorial Project to place a memorial plaque honoring unpaid patient grave-digger Lawrence Mocha (1878-1968), citing "confidentiality" issues. They are aware that every bit of information for the memorial plaque comes not from confidential medical records, but from publicly available records like the federal census and the social security death index. Still, they continue to block the memorial, rather than allow the Project to aknowledge his memory. We call upon OMH Commissioner Ann Sullivan to recognize that this man- and the thousands like him buried anonymously in state hospital cemeteries- deserves to be remembered. 

avatar of the starter
Willard Cemetery Memorial ProjectPetition Starter

The Decision Makers

Ann Sullivan
Ann Sullivan
Commissioner, NYS Office of Mental Health

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