Los Angeles County has agreed to pay the sum of $800,000 to the parent of kids who were taken to custody from home without a warrant by social workers and Sheriff’s deputy.
The payment is meant to settle a civil right violation lawsuit that claimed that the kids were unlawfully taken away from their parent’s residence at San Gabriel Valley about four years ago. The state kept the children for four months.
The lawsuit was filed by the parents of the two kids who believe that it was a case of a violation of their civil rights.
The parents, Mirtha Lopez and Sebastian Xoss leveled accusation against the county of unlawful, unreasonable and baseless removal of their 8 year old son and 6 year old daughter on February 10, 2011 from a hotel where they staying at the time of the event. According to the lawsuit, they went to the hotel in a bid to escape suspected violation of their daughter by an abuser who is a close relation of Lopez.
The lawsuit also states that the social workers at the Department of children and family services claimed that the parents created an endangering and detrimental home environment for the children. By falling short of their responsibility for providing immunizations and nourishing food for their children. They went on to accuse Xoss of having an untreated mental health problem that pose a threat to the children’s safety.
According to the case summary as prepared by the counsel to the country, staff from the Sheriff’s department’s social workers and Special Victims Bureau was responding to a complaint of abuse. It is, however, unclear who lodged the report.
The parents on their part denied the allegations claiming that they were fabricated. They said that they were raising their children in an academically, emotionally, loving, and financially supporting home. They also had letters from their doctors as proof that they were exempted from immunizing their children on the basis of their religious belief.
The parents made accusations in their lawsuit against the social workers and deputy that they entered their hotel room without having a search warrant to do so. The lawsuit reveals that the deputy mocked at the parents for not immunizing their children because of their religious inclination and also teaching them at home without sending them to school.
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I think what the police did was totally wrong!!