LOS ANGELES (AP) - Los Angeles County will pay $6 million to a woman who said social workers improperly seized her baby.
City News Service says the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved the payout to settle a lawsuit filed on behalf of Rafaelina Duval.
Social workers seized her then-15-month-old boy, Ryan, in 2009 after authorities alleged she’d neglected and intentionally starved him. The boy’s father was granted custody and Duval got limited visitation privileges.
She alleged that the social workers took the child from her after her father insulted them and accused them of racism.
In 2016, a jury found that the county’s actions amounted to unwarranted seizure of the child with malice and awarded Duval millions in damages. The county also racked up $2 million in legal costs.
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