The state of Washington and a local school district have settled a wrongful death lawsuit for $49 million after a 15-year-old autistic, nonverbal and blind Vancouver boy died of starvation and abuse.
Karreon Adams-Franks weighed 61 pounds when he died in November 2020, according to the lawsuit. His adoptive parents, Felicia Adams-Franks and Jesse Franks, were convicted in 2023 of second-degree murder in his death and sentenced to 35 years and 30 years in prison, respectively.
The lawsuit alleged that a therapist first reported that Karreon and his two younger siblings were being abused in 2017 and that the state was repeatedly told about the pattern of starvation and beatings, but never took action.
The Evergreen School District also observed the abuse and failed to report it, the lawsuit alleges.
One relative reported to the state that Karreon looked like a “walking skeleton” shortly before his death.
The state of Washington and the Evergreen School District will each pay out half of the settlement to the Karreon Adams-Franks’ estate and Karreon’s surviving siblings.
“No amount of money will ever make up for what happened to Karreon and what his brothers lived through,” Chris Davis, a lawyer for Karreon’s estate, said in a statement. “These boys spent years suffering abuse. When one of the boys reported the abuse to school staff, he was severely beaten by his abusers. The boys were forced to watch their older brother slowly die.”
A Washington Child Protective Services worker visited the home where the brothers lived days before Karreon’s death, the lawsuit said. The children told the worker that they were physically hit and spanked with an extension cord that left marks on their bodies and caused them to bleed and need a cane to walk as a result, according to the lawsuit.
The state’s “fatality review” after Karreon’s death found that the case worker failed to adequately document the abuse or follow up and that the case worker should have called 911 to get immediate medical attention for Karreon, according to the complaint.
The Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families declined to comment on the settlement.
The Evergreen School District said in a statement that its employees never failed to make a mandatory report.
“The staff who worked with the three brothers were caring and dedicated educators who had the boys’ best interests at heart,” the statement said. “The decision to settle was made by the district’s insurers to avoid the risk of a jury verdict exceeding the district’s available insurance coverage. The settlement payment on behalf of Evergreen Public Schools is being made by its insurer.”
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