Tuesday, April 20, 1999
Social worker sues county, says adoption bias cost him his job
BY BEN L. KAUFMAN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
An unidentified social worker sued Hamilton County on Monday, saying he lost his job after opposing allegedly illegal barriers to whites adopting black children.
The U.S. District Court complaint says racial discrimination is longstanding at Hamilton County Department of Human Services and violates federal law. That alleged racism also delays and even denies “loving family placements” to many African-American children, attorneys Scott Greenwood and Alphonse Gerhardstein said.
The complaint seeks at least $2 million for the social worker and a court order ending the alleged discrimination in transracial adoptions.
“The department is aware that their racial adoption policies have harmed children,” Mr. Greenwood said after filing the suit. “In one case — Reesie West — it killed him.”
In 1989, county social workers removed Maurice “Reesie” West from the home of white foster parents who wanted to adopt him and placed the black youngster out of state with an African-American couple. Within weeks, he was dead, and the adoptive parents were convicted in the death.
Mr. Greenwood said he is not naming his client because the complaint contains information that could pinpoint families or children if their adoption caseworker were identified.
“Using race as a factor in a particular adoptive placement decision may be appropriate and proper,” Mr. Greenwood and Mr. Gerhardstein said. “Using race as the only factor, as the dominant factor, or as a factor in every proposed transracial adoptive placement is illegal.”
The attorneys said their client “fought to keep the use of race within legal boundaries” and “has been harassed, targeted for retaliation and forced off the job.”
Defendants also include Don Thomas, department director, six subordinates and a former employee.
“This has all sort of taken us by surprise,” department spokeswoman Mindy Good said, adding she had not seen the suit and could not comment.
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