Public commenters challenge county child‑welfare expert appointment as board approves consent calendar

During general public comment before the consent calendar, multiple speakers urged the board to reconsider a planned appointment tied to Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) representation and to increase tribal consultation and transparency.

What commenters said: Ken Slawowski told the board staff had not returned with alternatives after the boards earlier direction and read an email from a community member that said staff did not reach out to tribes or offer alternatives. Berna Fitz (public commenter) told the board she and other parents have experienced what she described as a coordinated system that "uses" contracted evaluators and paid expert witnesses to uphold the county narrative in child‑welfare cases. Fitz said of the named expert, "Rich England has became a weapon for CWS. He writes expert opinions without ever speaking to the parents he's condemning on paper." She urged that experts meet with parents, that tribes be supported to bring their own experts, and that encounters with CWS be recorded for accountability.

Staff and board responses: Supervisor Sabrina Madrone said tribes reached out to her in the interval between meetings and indicated support for Rich England; she thanked those who reached out and said staff had been contacted. Supervisor Bone said the county has multiple contracted experts for ICWA compliance and that the contract files for the named expert appear limited. Several supervisors said they support the consent calendar while urging staff to continue to review and improve processes.

Board action: The board moved to approve the consent calendar, which included the appointment in question; the motion carried 4–0. Commenters asked the board to pursue government‑to‑government consultation with tribes and to return with alternative options where needed.