Allegations have been made that the 7-month-old boy was forcibly removed from his family by the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS).
The family’s lawsuit, which was filed on Sunday, asserted that the caseworkers were not fluent in Spanish, had trouble communicating, and did not even try to get a translation.
Cass County, Illinois, resident Marisol Angel-Tapia reported that in July of last year, she took her child to the doctor’s office due to a sunburn. Suspicion of child abuse led the nurse practitioner to report the visit to DCFS.
Despite having relatives who were prepared to care for the boy, the complaint states that he was placed in five separate foster homes. It was not until October 3, 2023, that he was returned to his family.
Tapia claimed in her lawsuit that DCFS forbade her from feeding her child breast milk. The family’s lawyer argued that authorities ought to face consequences.
In a case note presented by the attorneys during discovery, a doctor examined the child’s medical records and determined that the darkening on his legs was hyperpigmentation, not bruises, which is typical in Hispanic populations. This is something the attorneys had previously mentioned.
According to the lawsuit, the doctor also said that the burn didn’t seem to be self-inflicted. The decision was made within one day of the child’s first visit to the clinic, according to the lawyers.
The reunion of the child and parents still took three months.
“The tragic irony of this entire situation is that this baby was taken from his loving family because of alleged abuse and neglect at the hands of his parents. When in reality the true abuse and neglect began at the hands of DCFS,” attorney Kelly Olivier said.
The following statement was issued by DCFS to FOX 32:
“Illinois DCFS prioritizes the safety and welfare of children. DCFS does not comment on pending litigation.”