CHARLESTON — A mother is suing the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (HHS), its Secretary Bill Crouch, Lori Williams, Jenifer Pigott and Ashley Smith, citing alleged negligence, violation of due process rights, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and more.
Tabitha Snyder formerly Tabitha Krysmalski, individually and on behalf of her children Paige Krysmalski and Parker Krysmalski filed a complaint in Kanawha Circuit Court against the defendants alleging that they failed to protect plaintiffs in keeping with the statutory purpose, goals and child protective powers, and negligently failed to perform their duties.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that on April 30, 2016, Paige disclosed that she was sexually harassed by her father. Snyder reported this to the West Virginia Health and Human Resources department on May 6, 2016, and several hearings were conducted. At some point, the defendants developed a theory that Paige was coerced by her mother to into making allegations against her father. The plaintiff holds West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bill Crouch, Lori Williams, Jenifer Pigott and Ashley Smith responsible because the defendants allegedly acted intentionally and fraudulently against the plaintiff by purposely presenting inaccurate facts when they have already claimed that they believe the child, Paige, to be truthful about her father's sexual abuse.
The plaintiff seeks damages including punitive damages; attorney's fees and costs, up to the maximum limit of the defendants' liability insurance coverage, both as a government agency and individually. She is represented by Gai Lipscomb of Office of Mark Everett in Morgantown.
Kanawha Circuit Court Case number 18C1415