▁Lyn ch burg ▁in ▁Mad ison ▁He ights . ▁For ▁several ▁dec ades ▁throughout ▁the ▁mid - 2 0 th ▁century , ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Virginia ▁author ized ▁comp uls ory ▁ster il ization ▁of ▁the ▁ment ally ▁ret arded ▁for ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁e ugen ics . ▁The ▁operations ▁were ▁carried ▁out ▁at ▁the ▁institution . ▁An ▁estimated ▁ 8 , 3 0 0 ▁Vir g ini ans ▁were ▁re located ▁to ▁Lyn ch burg ▁and ▁ster il ized ▁there , ▁making ▁the ▁city ▁a ▁" dump ing ▁ground " ▁of ▁sorts ▁for ▁the ▁fee ble - mind ed , ▁poor , ▁blind , ▁ep ile ptic , ▁and ▁those ▁otherwise ▁seen ▁as ▁gen et ically ▁" un fit ". ▁Car rie ▁Buck ▁challeng ed ▁the ▁state ▁ster il ization , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁finally ▁u ph eld ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁in ▁Buck ▁v . ▁Bell . ▁She ▁was ▁class ified ▁as ▁" fe e ble - mind ed " ▁and ▁ster il ized ▁while ▁a ▁patient ▁at ▁the ▁Virginia ▁State ▁Col ony . ▁ ▁Ster il izations ▁were ▁carried ▁out ▁for ▁ 3 5 ▁years ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁when ▁the ▁operations ▁were ▁halt ed . ▁Later ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁Libert ies ▁Union ▁file d ▁a ▁class - action ▁law suit ▁against ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Virginia ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁the ▁ster il ization ▁vict ims . ▁In ▁the ▁settlement , ▁vict ims ▁received ▁formal