The family of a 4-year-old boy who died from starvation has announced plans to sue New York City’s Administration of Children Services, claiming the agency ignored warning signs that could have prevented the child's death.
The extended family of Jahmeik Modlin, the young boy found dead on Oct. 13 inside a Harlem apartment weighing just 19 pounds, blame ACS for his death. The boy's aunt, Nyisha Ragsdale, was set to file the lawsuit on Thursday, seeking $40 million in damages.
"I want to thank the people of New York for their sympathy on behalf of the family. He was a wonderful kid — he played, he laughed, he smiled,” Ragsdale said during a press conference at the office of her attorney, Sanford Rubenstein.
The city's medical examiner determined young Jahmeik died as a result of chronic starvation, malnutrition and dehydration. His aunt believes ACS neglected him, saying the staff was aware of his living conditions in 2022.
Ragsdale told NBC New York that ACS looked into claims the boy’s parents were abusing him and his three siblings, but determined those claims were unfounded. Afterward, the boy’s mother, her sister Nytavia Ragsdale, asked for help but did not get it.
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"We look forward to deposing ACS, the staff of ACS, with regards to how this terrible wrongful death could have happened,” Rubenstein said.
Both Nytavia Ragsdale and the boy's father, Laron Modlin, were arrested in the days after Jahmeik's death. They were charged with manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child, according to police.
The child’s extended family has continued to say they didn't know about the living conditions inside the home — but ACS did.
The agency referred any questions regarding the cased to the city's legal department. Earlier in the week, Mayor Eric Adams commented on Jahmeik's death and ACS, saying “I know we have a group of hard working professionals that don't want to disrupt families, but would like to go in and take necessary steps to protect children…all of us feel pain that something like this happened."
Rubenstein also called for the NYC Department of Investigation to conduct an independent investigation.
