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MA Connor B. v. Patrick

Massachusetts

Children’s Rights, along with co-counsel Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP, filed this against Deval L. Patrick, in his official capacity as Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; JudyAnn Bigby, in her official capacity as Secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health & Human Services; and Angelo McClain, in his official capacity as Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF). The suit was filed on behalf of all children in DCF foster care custody and alleged violations of their substantive and procedural due process rights, their right to family association, and violations of the federal Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980. The stories of the lead named plaintiffs in this class action, who represent the class as a whole, illustrate the devastating effects of a broken system on the children it purports to serve.

Children’s Rights and co-counsel presented their evidence over the course of a 24-day trial in Boston in 2013. Children’s Rights presented an argument on appeal in the First Circuit on November 5, 2014. Among the issues described in the Appeal Brief and mentioned in the oral argument:

Argument on the appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit took place in Boston in November 2014. Children’s Rights received a judgment ruling in the favor of defendants in December 2014.

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