Supervisors Order Probe of Adoption Case

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday ordered its independent watchdog who oversees children’s issues to investigate a controversial adoption case in which social workers were found to have impeded a white couple’s efforts to adopt a black child “solely” on the issue of race.

Childrens Services Inspector General Victor Greenberg, hired by the board to oversee the massive Department of Children and Family Services, will report to the supervisors in 30 days.

The supervisors ordered the inquiry during a closed-door executive session Tuesday, in which they questioned department Director Peter Digre at length about the case, which resulted in the county having to pay the couple and their adopted son $300,000 for emotional pain and suffering.

Supervisor Mike Antonovich called for the meeting with Digre to find out why it took so long for the couple to adopt the young boy. Antonovich also wanted to know why one social worker in particular was not disciplined even though she withheld important information from a judge overseeing the boy’s custody case. This included the fact that the boy’s birth mother had ongoing problems with drugs, crime and prostitution.