Lawsuit: New Jersey Department of Children and Families

“A lawsuit alleges the New Jersey Department of Children and Families’ staff members ignored complaints from a teenager that his foster parent was sexually abusing him, but would not return the boy to his mother.

The lawsuit, filed in Bridgeton on Jan. 28, charges the department and the foster parent as defendants. Court records show the department was served with notice but so far not the foster parent.

The suit levies two charges of negligence against the state. The foster parent is accused of assault and the intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

The abuse allegedly took place from 2004 into 2006. The plaintiff now is 32 according to the lawsuit filed by Andrew J. Thomson, an attorney with Edelstein Law in Philadelphia.

“It’s a total predator thing where he starts lavishing him with gifts,” Thomson said. “But it just escalates from there.

“It happened a while back,” the attorney said. “But, I mean, he’s had a rough life. If there’s any way to make it right, we’re going to do that.”

The lawsuit states that the teenager was “groomed” to be receptive to sexual advances and sexual contact was initiated when he was 15 years old. That escalated to forced sexual acts, it alleges.

The lawsuit alleges the boy and his mother alerted department staff, but they refused to remove him from the home. Thomson said his client, identified in court documents as “J.J.”, finally went to police with his story.

“Immediately after this report, Department of Children and Families dismissed J.J. from foster care and discharged him to his mother in November 2016,” the lawsuit states.

Thomson said the foster parent was charged but the case was downgraded to a municipal court matter, based on court documents. The foster at the time of the court case was listed as a Landisville resident.

The Daily Journal sent an email to the state Office of the Attorney General about the case. A spokesman on Thursday said the office had no comment.

The Department of Children and Families said Thursday it also could not comment.

“State and federal laws of confidentiality prevent the Department from commenting on client matters,” spokesman Jason Butkowski responded. “In addition, the department cannot comment on any pending matters of litigation.””

Lawsuit alleges N.J. foster child program ignored pleas from abused teen

[The Daily Journal 2/19/21 by Joseph P. Smith]

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