Philadelphia personal injury attorney, Steven F. Marino, Esquire, retained as counsel for grieving mother in a wrongful death suit against Lebanon County, PA
Grieving mother sues Lebanon County over death of son
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CBS 21
Steve Marino, Philadelphia Wrongful Death attorney, sues Children and Youth Services on behalf of client Sarah Coon for the death of her son Max Schollenberger
LEBANON COUNTY, Pa. — A grieving mother is suing Lebanon County – accusing Children and Youth Services of ignoring reports of abuse which ultimately led to the death of her son.
Sarah Coon claims several complaints were made to the agency, but no one ever followed up. Max Schollenberger was later found in deplorable conditions – starved to death.
A lawsuit that could change the way cases are handled at the juvenile level. Steve Marino, attorney for Max’s mother, Sarah Coon argues her son’s life could have been saved, if Children and Youth Services had followed up on repeated child abuse reports made by the boy’s grandmother.
“She called the Department of Children and Youth multiple times to lodge complaints, saying my child, grandson I think is being victimized,” said Marino.Max’s father Scott Schollenberger and his fiancée Kimberly Maurer face homicide charges for the death of the boy, who was found dead in May 2020 at this house in Annville. The investigation revealed Max lived in deplorable conditions – suffering years of horrific abuse. Marino points the finger at the county for not keeping him safe.
“There is one agency involved that has responsibility that failed in this case and that child suffered a horrible death because of it,” said Marino.Coon claims her son was subjected to dehydration and starvation at the hands of his father and Maurer. Max weighed just 47 pounds when his body was found.
Marino says this case proves drastic changes need to be made.“If these child protective services agencies aren’t well funded or if they aren’t well staffed, if they are not equipped with well trained people and not performing their job, then something should change,” said Marino. And Marino says the best way to honor Max’s life is by making sure Lebanon County is held responsible for failing to protect him.
“The idea here is let the jury speak, how can we affect change. You affect change with money verdicts, so it doesn’t happen again. That’s my way of thinking. That’s how you affect change,” said Marino.We reached out to Lebanon County Children and Youth and are still waiting to hear back. We also spoke with County Commissioners, but they had no comment on the lawsuit.
If you have suffered the loss of a family member due to someone else’s negligence, Marino Associates can help. Use the free case evaluation form or call 215-462-3200 to speak to one of our expert attorneys who will give you immediate answers to important questions.
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Published By: CBS 21, September 30, 2021 by Nick Volturo