Brett Schreiber, Partner at Singleton Schreiber, was recently featured in an article by the Contra Costa Herald, which covered the background behind the firm's recent federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of O-Y, an 18-month-old child who was beaten to death, against the City of Antioch, Antioch Police Department, Contra Costa Child Protective Services, Contra Costa County Regional Health Foundation, The Learning Experience, and the toddler’s biological parents.
The suit seeks punitive & monetary damages on behalf of O-Y's surviving two siblings on the basis that there was a history of neglect and abuse that was ignored by the agencies & individuals, and that there was a systematic failure to report and take necessary actions to protect the child.
From Mr. Schreiber:
"This child—who was still learning to walk—was brutally tortured and died a horrific death, all because the entire system that was supposed to protect her failed this innocent 18-month-old child. While her parents committed the physical abuse that killed her, their abuse was entirely enabled and abetted by social workers, police, hospitals and daycare centers, who should have stopped them.”
“This was a complete dereliction of duty that resulted in the death of one young child and the lifelong loss and trauma for two others,” Schreiber said. “On behalf of those siblings, we are asking the court not only to compensate them for the life-long emotional scarring they will suffer, but also to punish those who failed to prevent this horrible tragedy so that it never happens again.”