Five adopted Black children awarded $4.4M by West Virginia over CPS failures

Mixed · 2A Kanawha County, West Virginia, circuit judge, Maryclaire Akers, approved a $4.4 million settlement for five adopted Black children who were abused by their white adoptive parents, with the money to be divided among the five. 1 2 Mixed · 2The settlement came from the state Department of Human Services after the children sued, alleging Child Protective Services (CPS) failed to protect them. The New York Post describes it as the maximum the state can give out; the Times of India says it is the maximum available through the state's Board of Risk Management. 1 2 Mixed · 2The adoptive parents, Jeanne Kay Whitefeather and Donald Lantz, kept the children in deplorable conditions on their property in Sissonville; the New York Post says they were sentenced collectively to 375 years in prison and forced the children to work as farmhands because of their race, while the Times of India says they received the maximum sentences, and that prosecutors described slave-like circumstances. 1 2

Mixed · 2The children were found after a neighbour's report that two teenagers were being kept in a shed; police found a 14-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl locked in a shed with a small RV porta-potty but no lights or running water. The Times of India says law enforcement discovered the children in October 2023. 1 2 Mixed · 2The department could not produce documentation showing CPS made contact with the children despite a notation in its system about the conditions. Attorney Dante diTrapano said many neighbours called but he believes only one visit was made, that CPS left a card at the door, and that a later interview took place within earshot of the adoptive parents. 1 2 Mixed · 2DiTrapano, who represented the children, said the settlement means "these kids will have an opportunity to be children" and called the parents "monsters"; he said West Virginia's child welfare system is broken and needs better staff, interviewing and documentation. Some of the children have post-traumatic stress disorder or need significant support. 1 2

Mixed · 2Lars Dalseide, spokesperson for Gov. Patrick Morrisey, said the department does not comment on specific settlements or litigation, that the case predates the Morrisey administration and that the employee involved was terminated by the previous administration. He cited leadership restructuring, clearer regional expectations, stronger frontline training and the "SAFE Model" for assessing cases. The New York Post says only that at least one employee was fired and that the governor has taken steps to strengthen the department. 2 1 Mixed · 2The children have since been placed with new adoptive families, and two of the new mothers spoke in court about their lives, including a trip to the beach. 1 2 Mixed · 2DiTrapano plans legal action against Washington state's Human Services Department, which he says approved the couple's move with the children to West Virginia despite earlier abuse reports there. The Times of India adds that Washington has no damage cap in such cases, so the children could seek more compensation. 1 2

Centre · 1Del. Hollis Lewis, D-Kanawha, said he will reintroduce the Child Captivity Prevention Act in 2027, which would require families moving to West Virginia who plan to homeschool to notify the Department of Human Services; the bill did not advance in 2026, and the couple had homeschooled the children. 2