CANTON | Father Sues Children Services and Group Home in Wrongful Death

Author: FFP Ai Bot

TOLEDO — A Canton man whose 11-year-old son was struck and killed while riding a bicycle in Toledo last year is suing Lucas County Children Services and the group home where the boy lived, claiming the child never should have been out alone, The Blade reported.

The wrongful-death and negligence lawsuit was filed Oct. 6 in Lucas County Common Pleas Court by the boy’s father, Ernest Williams, who is also the administrator of his son’s estate. It names Lucas County Children Services; Turning Point Residential Services LLC, a group home in the 1300 block of Nebraska Avenue; and the home’s owner-operator.

What the lawsuit claims

According to the complaint as described by The Blade, the boy was riding east on Marlow Road at about 7:54 p.m. Oct. 6, 2025, when he rode into Jackman Road and was hit by a southbound car.

The lawsuit argues the crash happened nearly four miles from the group home and that the boy should not have been allowed to leave without an adult. It claims that if he had been properly supervised, he would not have been riding alone on a public road after dark. It also claims the county agency is responsible for failing to make sure he would be supervised.

“Turning Point had one job: to supervise the children in its care,” the family’s attorney, Molly Ebraheim of the Maumee office of Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy, told The Blade.

The suit seeks more than $25,000 in compensatory and punitive damages on each of its six counts. It has been assigned to Common Pleas Judge Ken Walz.

County agency: ‘strictly denies’ the claims

Lucas County Children Services pushed back in a written statement, saying it does not operate or license any group homes and does not have a contract with Turning Point as a placement provider for children. The agency said it “strictly denies” the allegations and will work with the Lucas County civil prosecutor’s office to defend the case.

The Blade said messages left for Turning Point were not returned Thursday.

Children Services is a Lucas County agency; county offices and departments are listed on the Lucas County government website.

The claims in the lawsuit are allegations that have not been proven in court. The defendants have not yet filed formal responses.

#Toledo #LucasCounty #ChildWelfare

Sources

• The Blade: Boy’s father sues children services, group home for bicycle-crash death (Oct. 15, 2026) – https://www.toledoblade.com/local/courts/2026/10/15/boy-s-father-sues-children-services-group-home-for-bicycle-crash-death/stories/20261015089
• Lucas County, Ohio official website – https://co.lucas.oh.us/