Federal Court Filing Exposes Decade of Neglect and Federal Noncompliance in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties

Morris Patrick III
Oct 28
3 min read

A Turning Point in the Fight for Accountability

On October 23, 2025, I filed two important federal documents Dkt 348 and Dkt 349 with the United States District Court for the Central District of California. These filings mark a major step in the ongoing fight to hold Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County accountable for corruption and negligence within their child welfare agencies.

For more than a decade both counties ignored repeated warnings from the state and federal government about child safety failures civil rights violations and data manipulation. My filings preserve these public records under federal law to expose the truth that government leaders knew about the harm and refused to act.

Dkt 348 State Auditor Reports and Board of Supervisors Failure to Act

The first filing Dkt 348 shows how Los Angeles County’s Department of Children and Family Services ignored years of official audits from the California State Auditor. These audits from 2012 to 2019 found that the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors failed to act despite repeated evidence of unsafe conditions and illegal conduct.

The official findings include:

2012 audit found nearly 900 children were left in unsafe homes because DCFS failed to complete home inspections and background checks
2014 audit found that DCFS ignored accountability laws that were meant to protect children from fatal harm
2015 audit found that children were placed near registered sex offenders in violation of state law
2019 audit found that DCFS submitted safety assessments without visiting children’s homes

These reports show that the Board of Supervisors failed to meet its duty under the California Constitution and the Los Angeles County Charter to supervise county departments and protect children. The evidence shows deliberate indifference and a pattern of constitutional violations under color of law.

Dkt 349 Federal Findings of Systemic Noncompliance

The second filing Dkt 349 adds federal evidence from the United States Department of Health and Human Services Child and Family Services Review Round 4 report published August 1, 2023.

This federal report confirms that both Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County failed to meet national child welfare standards under Title IV B and Title IV E of the Social Security Act.

Federal Findings for Los Angeles County

Only 28 to 33 percent of youth in foster care found permanent homes compared to the national standard of 37 percent
Placement instability averaged 2.47 moves per 1000 days showing unsafe disruption and poor case management
Federal reviewers found failures in oversight data accuracy and compliance with federal regulations

Federal Findings for San Bernardino County

Case files showed missing or duplicated background check records and improperly granted criminal exemptions
Federal reviewers found major deficiencies in staff training and foster home approvals
The county violated federal and state child safety laws

These findings confirm that both counties violated due process and equal protection rights under the United States Constitution and failed to comply with federal oversight requirements.

What This Means for Families

For many years parents like me were silenced while social workers operated without accountability. These filings show that our government knowingly broke the law and continued to receive federal funding while families suffered.

The Fourteenth Amendment promises due process and equal protection for every citizen. Yet thousands of parents have lost their children without lawful hearings or evidence while agencies now proven noncompliant controlled their cases.

A Call for Reform

This is the moment to demand justice. These filings represent not only my case but the collective voice of every family who has been silenced. The system is broken and must be reformed.

I am calling on:

Congress to hold hearings on corruption and civil rights violations by child welfare agencies in California
The Department of Justice to open a federal investigation
The California Legislature to create independent oversight of DCFS and CFS

Transparency Accountability and Hope

This is more than a legal filing. It is a declaration that families deserve truth and justice. Our children are not case numbers and our voices will no longer be ignored.

The fight continues in court and in the public square until every official who violated their oath of duty is held accountable.

Filed and Authored by

Morris Patrick Plaintiff in Pro Per

United States District Court Central District of California

Case No 2:22 CV 02846 MWC BFM

Read the full filings