Plaintiff Nicole Ahlschlager, who has cerebral palsy and various mental health conditions, and her family have resided in the Workforce Development Center (WDC), a shelter operated by Suffolk County until their eviction in September.

During her residency, plaintiff obtained a service dog that her minor children named Nightmare, after the film "The Nightmare Before Christmas," the WDC initially refused to permit Nightmare but did so later as an ADA accommodation.