Racial/ethnic discrimination

Reversed - DCF had insufficient evidence to support a 51A report of physical abuse when the Appellant hit his son on his buttocks with a belt, over his clothes, as physical discipline. The Appellant talked with his son before and after the physical punishment and the child reported that the…

Reversed - DCF did not have reasonable cause to support allegations of abuse where Appellants used corporal punishment. The use of corporal punishment was not found to be abuse because: (1) the Appellants signed a document with the police saying they would stop two years prior; and (2) there was no…

Affirmed - DCF had reasonable cause to believe that the child has been neglected and that the Appellant's foster care license should be revoked where Appellant allowed the children to have an unsupervised visit with their birth mother who has a history of substance use. Appellant later encouraged…