Bittersweet Justice: California

Occasionally there is justice for those negatively affected by the child welfare and adoption systems. Unfortunately, it is usually bittersweet and much too late. This will serve as REFORM Talk’s justice files.

From San Bernardino County, California, Rickie F. molested two grade school foster children for six months while they were in the foster care home of Bridgette Frields.

“A [unknown] California foster care agency paid $4 million to settle a lawsuit” that the family filed.

“Approximately one year later, the County of San Bernardino and a foster family agency placed another dependent child, Rickie F., in the same home. In November 2010, it was discovered that Rickie F., who was several years older than Raheem O., Jr., had been repeatedly and continuously sexual abusing and molesting plaintiffs Anthony E. and Raheem O., Jr. in their foster home.

The plaintiffs filed suit in San Bernardino County Superior Court and alleged that defendants knew, or should have known, that Rickie F. had a history of sexually molesting younger, male children. Plaintiffs further alleged that defendants breached their mandatory duty to warn by failing to warn the foster mother, Bridgette Frields, of Rickie’s dangerous propensities.

The defendants contended that they had no knowledge of Rickie’s history of sexual abuse. Further, defendants claimed that Rickie had been successfully rehabilitated, since at least five years had passed without incident by the time Rickie was placed in the Frields’ home. Lastly, defendants claimed that the boys were engaging in consensual sex play and that plaintiffs did not suffer injuries or damages, and that any damages that did exist were the result of their poor backgrounds and upbringing, and not the result of any sexual molestation by Rickie F.

The parties participated in two mediations with mediator Darrell A. Forgey and reached a $4,000,000 settlement on August 10 just two days prior to trial.”

$4M SETTLEMENT IN SEXUAL MOLESTATION CASE IN CA FOSTER CARE
[The National Trial Lawyer website]