SANTA FE, N.M. — New Mexico’s Children, Youth and Families Department is denying allegations made in a lawsuit filed earlier this year by the New Mexico Department of Justice and is asking a judge to dismiss the case.
According to court filings reported by the Santa Fe New Mexican, CYFD is seeking dismissal with prejudice, which would prevent the lawsuit from being refiled if the court agrees.
The lawsuit was filed in April alongside the release of a more than 200-page report stemming from a yearlong state investigation into New Mexico’s child welfare system.
In the lawsuit, the Department of Justice alleges CYFD maintained a “shroud of secrecy” and impeded the state’s investigation by resisting or refusing requests for information and records.
CYFD disputes those allegations and argues the lawsuit should be thrown out. The agency maintains it acted within the requirements of confidentiality laws governing child welfare records.
The case remains pending in court.
