State agency settles wrongful-death lawsuit for $475k

SERENITY DEAL / CHILD ABUSE DEATH: Serenity Anne Deal, 5. died of child abuse. Her father, Sean Devon Brooks, 31, was charged in Oklahoma County District Court with first-degree murder and felony child abuse. PROVIDED ORG XMIT: KOD

(Information from: The Oklahoman, http://www.newsok.com)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The Oklahoma Department of Human Services has settled a wrongful-death lawsuit saying the agency was responsible for the death of a 5-year-old girl who was murdered by her father in 2011.
The Oklahoman reports that the agency settled the 2013 suit filed by the maternal grandparents of Serenity Deal for $475,000.
Serenity was beaten to death shortly after being placed in the care of her father at the recommendation of department workers after the state removed her from foster care.
Her father, Sean Brooks, is serving a life sentence after pleading guilty to first-degree murder.
Two department workers were fired and pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of suppressing evidence that prosecutors argued could have prevented Serenity being returned to her father.
Both were placed on probation.

Image: NewsOK