The Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday reinstated a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the heirs of a boy whose murder sparked major child protection reforms in Minnesota.
The lawsuit claims Pope County and three child protection workers were negligent in Eric Dean's murder.
The state Supreme Court reinstated the lawsuit, saying the district court should determine whether the county and the social workers are liable for Eric's death for failing to notify law enforcement about reports of abuse as required by state's Reporting of Maltreatment of Minors Act.
Eric, 4, who lived in Starbuck, died in Feburary 2013 at the hands of his father's girlfriend after at least seven reports of suspected child abuse from different sources.
The district court dimissed the case, saying that the social workers were immune from liability in the screening and handling of suspected child abuse cases. The district court also concluded that the evidence was insufficient that the failure to report suspected abuse to law enforcement led to Eric's death.
The court of appeals affirmed. But the Supreme Court disagreed in a unanimous ruling written by Justice Paul Thissen.
The 36-page decision found that immunity didn't apply to the social workers. The court also said the significance of a a failure to report suspected child abuse to law enforcement is something that should be weighed by the district court.
The ruling returned the case to the lower court for further proceedings, including a possible trial.
