Lawsuit filed against state, Catholic Charities and DHS

A civil lawsuit filed on behalf of a 5-year-old adopted son of Brandy Blas and Thomas Blas, who were charged with the murder and abuse of 10-year-old Geanna Bradley, reveals he had numerous scars and bruises and suffered from malnutrition and developmental delays.

The complaint was filed Tuesday in Oahu Circuit Court by Stephen Lane, as guardian prochein ami (next friend) for the boy, listed as John “A.B.” Doe, against the state of Hawaii, its Department of Human Services and Catholic Charities of Hawaii on four counts of negligence, including breach of duty to protect A.B. to ensure his foster placement was safe and that he had adequate psychological, physical and medical care.

Instead their “breach of duty resulted in serious and permanent physical and emotional harm, disability and loss of enjoyment of life for A.B.,” the complaint alleges.

First responders to the 911 call for Bradley, who was found dead Jan. 18 at the Blas house at 33 Karsten Drive, discovered that five other children were living there. The Blases’ four biological children appeared well nourished, healthy and developmentally matching their chronological ages, the complaint says.

But the first responders described 4-year-old A.B., who was about to turn 5 in February, as malnourished, unable to walk normally, underdeveloped and with multiple bruises, the lawsuit says.

The now 5-year-old is the subject of a protective proceeding in Oahu Family Court, the complaint says. Lane was appointed by a Circuit Court judge as “next friend,” and as such is authorized to file claims and/or legal actions in the state courts and other forums against the people and entities responsible for injuries and damage A.B. sustained, and retain legal counsel to do so. Attorney Laura Ozak was retained and filed the lawsuit.

Lane said A.B. has no identifiable biological relative with legal authority to act on his behalf since his biological mother lost her parental rights, so he took this step “to ensure a horrifically abused young child who is otherwise voiceless, has someone to speak for him.”

Lane, who has been court- appointed as special master in many high-profile cases on behalf of victims of child abuse, said, “What really concerns me about the little boy, they took as an infant child, was that he was a special-needs child, and placed them with a family who has no experience with a special-needs child.

“Within a year the state arranges adoption by the Blas family of a special- needs child who has all kinds of needs.”

Lane said, “That child could barely walk. I’ve seen this child. He weighed 20 to 25 pounds, with burn marks, like somebody used him as an ashtray, and bite marks.”

He said to move the child into a family with four adults in a tiny house, this is what they did in the (Isabella) Kalua (whose adoptive parents are charged with her murder and abuse) case, “who never had any child of any sort. This is just a rerun.”

Lane spelled out a likely motive: “At adoption the state’s obligation for care and supervision ends, and customarily, the compensation to the adoptive family goes up significantly, and that’s what I find most shocking about this whole thing. That was almost a death sentence.”

For Bradley the alleged tortuous abuse ended in death.

The 10-year-old, for whom the Blases had legal guardianship, was emaciated, bruised and scarred, with multiple open wounds, consistent with child abuse, the civil complaint says, as similarly alleged in the murder, abuse, kidnapping and unlawful-imprisonment indictment against the Blases and Debra Geron, Brandy Blas’ mother. Geron lived in the same house with husband William Geron, who was not indicted.

The indictment says the Blases received $1,961 a month from the state for Bradley, also a special-needs child, Lane said, but it does not state how much they received for A.B.

The lawsuit alleges DHS, through its employees and its agent, Catholic Charities Hawaii, negligently breached their duty to protect A.B. to ensure his placement as a foster child, from the time he was 2 weeks old in late February 2019 in the Blases’ Wahiawa home, was safe.

In a response to a request for comment, Catholic Charities Hawaii said in a written statement, “Catholic Charities Hawaii has yet to be served and given an opportunity to review the lawsuit; therefore, we cannot comment at this time.”

DHS said in a written response, “The Department has not been served with the complaint, so we cannot comment at this time. If it is properly served, we will defer to the Attorney General for any comments on active litigation.”

A.B. was born premature February 2019, when his biological mother was 33 weeks pregnant, at Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women &Children. He was hospitalized due to suspected illicit drug exposure prior to birth.

He was discharged at 2 weeks of age in stable condition to his birth mother with a safe-plan agreement. The complaint says he was removed from his birth mother’s home in late February 2019 and placed in the foster home of the Blases, where Bradley was already living.

The Blases had legal guardianship of Bradley before A.B. was placed there, the complaint says.

After his birth, A.B. was referred to receive early intervention services, the complaint says. That’s because he was born premature and was at risk of substance exposure, Ozak said.

The complaint alleges DHS and CCH failed to ensure he received early intervention services regularly after he was placed with the Blases, both before and after he was adopted by them.

The Blases adopted A.B. at age 15 months in May 2020, the complaint says.

The complaint shows multiple mandated reporters saw the boy but failed to seek medical attention.

On Jan. 18, the day of Bradley’s death, DHS’ Child Welfare Services social workers did not seek medical attention for A.B., and instead on Jan. 19 placed him in the home of Brandy Blas’ sister, according to the complaint.

He was taken to Wahiawa General Hospital on Jan. 22 and tested positive for influenza, the complaint says.

Brandy Blas’ sister advised CWS on Jan. 22 that she did not want A.B. in her home, so CWS transferred him to Hoomalu o na Kamalii, a temporary shelter.

It was the shelter staff who finally alerted CWS workers to his multiple bruises and took him to Kapiolani’s emergency department Jan. 23, the complaint says. There he was given medical attention and evaluated by Kapiolani Child Advocacy and Protection Center health care specialists.

He was discharged from the hospital to the care of a medically trained foster parent attentive to his medical and psychosocial needs, the complaint says.

The complaint alleges that A.B. witnessed the “shocking cruelty” of Bradley by the Blases, “while at the same time he was himself subject to severe physical and emotional abuse and neglect.”

It alleges the boy suffered extreme emotional distress resulting from DHS’ and CCH’s negligent failure to protect his foster sister.