Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents accuse county child-welfare system of wrongful removals and call for investigations during public comment
Summary
A string of public commenters at the board meeting accused the county's child-welfare system of wrongful removals, alleged trafficking, overmedication and court misconduct; supervisors and staff noted these are non-agenda public comments and advised referrals to the CEO or appropriate oversight bodies.
Multiple San Diego residents used the non-agenda public-comment period on March 3 to urge the Board of Supervisors to investigate alleged abuses in the county child-welfare system.
In-person and phone speakers described personal cases they said involved unjust removals, restraining orders, and misapplied legal procedures. "These girls belong home," Ricky Robinson said as he described seeking the return of grandchildren he said had been removed by child-welfare authorities. Jennifer Royston accused the County's child welfare services of facilitating "child trafficking" and urged county action; others described pending federal filings and demonstrations planned in downtown San Diego.
Board procedures limit immediate action on non-agenda items, and the chair reiterated that the only formal step available at this point is referral to the CEO for review or investigation. Andrew, the clerk, recorded the public comments and said the board could not act on non-agenda items at that moment.
The meeting record does not show responses from Child and Family Well-being Services during the session. Several commenters named judges, attorneys and social workers; these allegations were not adjudicated at the meeting and remain unverified in the record.
Why it matters: repeated and specific allegations against the child-welfare system that are widely aired at a public supervisors' meeting can prompt oversight reviews, requests for investigations, or referrals to the county CEO, state oversight agencies, or the courts. The board did not initiate an investigation during the meeting; those next steps would require formal staff action or a future agenda item.
What the record shows: the board heard and recorded the public comments; staff and supervisors noted the limits of public-comment remedies and the referral mechanism to the CEO. No formal motion or action on these allegations was made at the March 3 session.
