Washington and Evergreen Schools agree to $49 million settlement over teen's death
The State of Washington and Evergreen Public Schools will pay more than $49 million to the estate of Karreon Adams-Franks, a 15-year-old who died of starvation in 2020.
Washington state and Evergreen Public Schools have reached a settlement exceeding $49 million for the wrongful death of 15-year-old Karreon Adams-Franks, who died of starvation in 2020. The payment is divided between the state ($25 million) and the district ($24.3 million) and will go to Karreon's estate and his two surviving brothers. Karreon, who was autistic, nonverbal and legally blind, weighed just 61 pounds when he died.
His adoptive parents, Felicia Adams and Jesse Franks, received lengthy prison sentences after being convicted of homicide by abuse and criminal mistreatment of the younger boys. The lawsuit claims that the Department of Children, Youth and Families and the Department of Social and Health Services ignored abuse warnings, while school staff at Shahala Middle School and Mountain View High School failed to file mandatory reports despite earlier concerns. The district says its staff are well-trained and that the settlement reflects the full insurance coverage available.
Why it matters
The settlement highlights systemic failures in child protection and mandatory reporting within state agencies and schools.
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