The parents of a three-year-old girl have filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging that their daughter died as a result of negligence and abuse in the foster care system.
The situation giving rise to the lawsuit began more than a year ago when Brittany Compton’s children were removed from her home. Compton and her husband were stationed at Fort Polk after serving several months in Iraq. While they were abroad, the couples’ two children, Kaitlyn and Kennedy, had been staying with Compton’s mother, but when they returned, the children came to live with them at Fort Polk.
In April of 2009, not long after coming to the military base, allegations of abuse led to the children being removed from their parents’ home. Compton disputes the abuse allegations, claiming that she once spanked the children at day care, but there was never any physical abuse.
The children were removed by the Louisiana Office of Community Services (OCS) and placed in a foster home. Then, on May 8, 2009, the youngest daughter, Kennedy, died of blunt force trauma to the chest. A criminal investigation is still ongoing, but the wrongful death suit alleges that OCS was negligent in removing the child and placing her in a foster home that was not properly equipped for its purpose.
Moreover, the wrongful death suit also names the foster mom and the individual watching Kennedy on the day she died. Compton’s lawsuit alleges that the foster mother was negligent in failing to supervise Kennedy and alleges that the person watching Kennedy was responsible for beating and kicking her and then failing to obtain medical care that might have saved her life.
Thus far, there have been no criminal charges filed, but police detectives allegedly have a primary suspect and continue to collect evidence.
Related Resources:
Military family demanding answers about child who died in foster care (Alexandria Daily Town Talk)
