An affluent doctor's DCFS case highlights the corruption low-income families face in the child welfare system.
Beverly Hills doctor Susan Spell filed a $750 million lawsuit against Los Angeles County to regain custody of her four children, who were wrongfully removed from her care without a warrant or court order.
Spell claims DCFS (Dept. of Children & Family Services) social workers lied under oath and falsified evidence to justify removing her four children from her care. DCFS then placed the children with their father who has a documented history of domestic violence.
The county settled the suit for $150,000 in March 2018. Spell believes the fact that the county was willing to settle for $150,000 for her not to take them to court, implies that they (DCFS) knew they intentionally did something wrong.
False Allegations are Common in DCFS Cases and Dependency Court
DCFS will use any minor infraction to say parents are abusing their kids. They will exaggerate any minor incident to make it look far worse than it really is. It’s also common for DCFS to completely falsify evidence.
Parents are helpless when it comes to fighting false allegations from DCFS. Judges side with DCFS. And court appointed attorneys do not defend the parents.
Most of the cases in dependency court are comprised of low-income families. They do not have the resources to fight for their rights.
Wider Implications for the General Public
Spell’s case demonstrates how difficult it is for lower-income...
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