Five adopted Black children in West Virginia won a $4.4 million settlement from the state’s Department of Human Services after a Kanawha County Circuit Judge approved the award on Tuesday. The children, who had been subjected to years of abuse and neglect, now have a financial safety net to support their recovery.
The abuse came at the hands of Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 63, and Donald Lantz, 64, who kept the children in a shed without running water and treated them as slaves. Neighbors repeatedly called CPS, yet the agency left a card at the door and made only a single visit. Law enforcement finally uncovered the children in October 2023 after neighbors had raised alarms.
Both parents were convicted on October 2023 and are serving decades in prison. The $4.4 million will be divided into $880,000 each, the maximum payout under the Board of Risk Management. Attorney Dante diTrapano said, "It means these kids will have an opportunity to be children."
The state has announced reforms, including a new SAFE Model and leadership restructuring, according to spokesperson Lars Dalseide of Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s office. Dalseide said the Department of Human Services is tightening oversight and training for frontline workers.
The children now live with new adoptive families; one mother recounted taking them to the beach, a glimpse of normalcy after trauma. diTrapano plans to sue Washington’s Human Services Department for approving the transfer of the children despite abuse reports. The Washington case is slated for a hearing next month.