Deal reached in case of caged kids

March 11, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

TOLEDO

Eleven adopted and foster children forced to sleep in cages by their adoptive parents have reached a $1.2 million settlement with the Ohio county where they once lived.

Lawyers for the children contended that Huron County children services workers should have discovered what was happening before they did and removed the children.

“There were red flags that should have had the county in there sooner,” said attorney Jack Landskroner.

Instead of filing a lawsuit, attorneys for the children negotiated with the county on the settlement, announced Wednesday.

The children suffered from problems such as fetal alcohol syndrome and ranged in age from 1 to 14 when authorities removed them from their Norwalk home in 2005. Their adoptive parents, Michael and Sharen Gravelle, are serving two-year prison terms for abusing some of the children.

The county has denied blame and said the social workers did nothing improper. A message seeking comment was left Wednesday with the children services agency.

County officials, Landskroner said, decided it would be better to settle with the children rather than spending money fighting a lawsuit in court.

A trustee will determine how much money each child will receive while courts will help determine when they receive the money.