District of Columbia (LaShawn A. v. Fenty)
Legal Documents
Complaint
Full text of the federal class action complaint against the District of Columbia, seeking comprehensive reform of the child welfare system.
Final Order
Full text of the final order mandating reform of the District’s Department of Human Services.
Contempt Motion
Full text of the contempt motion citing the District’s noncompliance with the court-ordered reform plan.
Stipulated Order
Stipulated order requiring the District to develop and execute an emergency plan for swiftly reducing a dangerous backlog of child abuse and neglect investigations, finding permanent homes for children trapped in custody, stabilizing its badly weakened workforce, and addressing other persistent problems.
Motion for Contempt
Motion seeking a finding of contempt against the District of Columbia for its ongoing failure to implement the child welfare reforms mandated by the court order in the LaShawn A. v. Fenty class action.
Plaintiffs’ Opposition to Motion for Approval of Six-Month Plan
Children’s Rights brief detailing the legal rationale for rejecting the District’s motion seeking approval of a six-month action plan leading to exit from court oversight.
Monitoring Report (05/05/2009)
Report by the independent monitor appointed by the court to track progress in implementing the court-ordered reforms.
Opinion on recent motions re. contempt, timeline, and monitor’s role (04/05/2010)
Order on recent motions re. contempt, timeline, and monitor’s role (04/05/2010)
Opinion and order by U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan holding DC Mayor Adrian Fenty in civil contempt for failing to meet court-ordered requirements for child welfare reform and denying District officials’ motion to set a timetable for the end of federal court oversight of the DC Child and Family Services Agency.
