A second civil lawsuit has been filed against Jeanne Whitefeather and Donald Lantz, the Sissonville couple previously convicted of child abuse, forced labor, and human trafficking. The suit, filed in Kanawha County Circuit Court, comes from the adoptive parents of two of the victims and seeks compensatory damages for both past and ongoing medical expenses, emotional distress, and other forms of suffering endured by the children while in the couple’s custody.
According to Eyewitness News, the lawsuit describes the abuse as “shocking and severe,” citing both physical and emotional mistreatment and neglect. Prosecutors alleged that the adopted children were subjected to forced labor and repeated abuse. This marks the second lawsuit filed against the couple. The first was initiated by one of the adopted children, seeking justice for the treatment they endured.