LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — Luzerne County Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a $550,000 settlement to resolve a federal lawsuit accusing the county's child welfare agency of falsely placing a teacher on a statewide child abuse registry.
The lawsuit, filed in March of last year by a Philadelphia attorney, alleges that the county’s Office of Children and Youth Services placed a woman on the registry without conducting an investigation. The woman, identified in public court filings only by her initials, had been falsely accused of rape. The blacklisting subsequently cost her her job as a teacher.
According to a copy of the pending council resolution, the $550,000 settlement payment will be fully covered by the county's insurance carrier.
