North Carolina Social Worker Hit With $1.4 Million Verdict Arising From Child Custody Case

A social worker in North Carolina was sued last year for making false domestic violence allegations in 2018 against the father of her children.

According to the father's 2024 lawsuit complaint, the two parties were involved in child custody litigation in 2018, and the social worker used an Ex Parte domestic violence protective order to secure sole, temporary custody of the parties' two children and to wrongfully evict the father from his residence.

More false allegations followed, according to the father's 2024 lawsuit complaint, including additional DVPO and criminal complaints being filed by the social worker against the father throughout the parties' ongoing child custody litigation. As a result, the father was jailed, forced to wear an ankle monitor, and harassed. After several months of this, following each instance, all of the complaints/charges the social worker filed against the father were dismissed.

In his 2024 complaint for intentional infliction of emotional distress, abuse of process, and malicious prosecution, the father alleged the social worker's allegations to have been frivolous and malicious.

Defendant, acting in her individual capacities intentionally and maliciously used the civil system to institute multiple frivolous domestic violence protective orders against the Plaintiff and secured false Ex Parte orders for an ulterior purpose of withholding custody of the parties' two minor children.

The jury agreed, apparently, returning a $1.4 million verdict against the social worker in May 2025, including actual and punitive damages.

That's a tall hill to climb on a social worker's average salary.