CNN — Two West Virginia parents are awaiting trial on more than a dozen charges after adopting four Black children and allegedly using them for “forced labor” on their farm, court documents show.
Jeanne Whitefeather, 62 and Donald Lantz, 63, who are both White, have been charged with human trafficking of children, civil rights violations, use of a minor child in forced labor and child neglect, according to the 17-count indictment.
Madison Tuck, assistant prosecuting attorney for Kanawha County, West Virginia, told CNN Wednesday that the trial is set to begin on September 9.
Tuck said the children are “all safe” but declined to give further details about their location.
Lantz and Whitefeather entered not guilty pleas during a June 11 arraignment.
Mark Plants, an attorney representing Whitefeather, told CNN Thursday that his client “absolutely, emphatically (denies) the allegations.”
“We’re talking about two parents who adopted five Black children, has cared for them for the last eight years, and this is going to come out at trial. And we’ll let the jury decide at the end of the day. But we absolutely, emphatically deny the allegations.”
Lantz’s attorney did not immediately return requests for comment.
During the arraignment, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen an indictment like this in all of my time.”
Akers, referencing the indictment, said it alleges the children were “targeted because of their race” to be used “as basically slaves.”
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Article URL : https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/27/us/west-virginia-adopted-black-children-slaves-reaj/index.html