Burr v. Board of County Commissioners of Stark County

Russel and Betty Burr (plaintiffs) adopted a baby, Patrick, after caseworker Winifred Schaub (defendant) falsely told them he was a healthy baby born to a capable but overwhelmed unwed teenage mother, when in reality his mother was a 31-year-old mentally ill patient at a state hospital, his father was unidentified, and agency records already showed signs of low intelligence and disease risk. Patrick was later diagnosed with Huntington's disease, and after obtaining a court order unsealing his adoption records, the Burrs sued the county welfare department, its director, and Schaub (defendants), seeking over $80,000 in medical expenses and damages for fraudulent "wrongful adoption." A jury awarded $125,000, which was affirmed on appeal before the state supreme court took up the case.