Unforgotten: 25 Years After Willowbrook

Updated June 26, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Twenty-five years ago, Rivera exposed the unspeakable conditions mentally retarded patients endured at the Willowbrook State School, an event he calls “the defining moment of my life.” Because of cuts in New York's budget, the residents lived in filth, mostly on their own. When Rivera broke the story, many of the residents had parasites, pneumonia and hepatitis. While Unforgotten does recall the nightmare of Willowbrook, the documentary focuses more on the progress made since the exposé and warns that without proper vigilance, conditions could once again deteriorate.