Payouts could end day-care lawsuits

MATTAWA, Wash. – In tentative settlements, the state has agreed to pay more than $2 million to settle civil rights lawsuits brought by Latino-owned day-care centers in the Grant County town of Mattawa.

The two lawsuits alleged that the “white mayor of Mattawa,” Judy Esser, and members of the “all-white Mattawa Police Department” urged a state investigation into day-care providers working in the community of 3,000, which in 2001 was about 95 percent Hispanic, and that the ensuing investigation included unlawful searches and seizures.

If approved by a federal judge, the nine plaintiffs in one case would receive $45,000 each, and the state would revise its manual on handling home child care inspections and notify all 7,000 day-care centers in the state of the changes. Columbia Legal Services, which represents the day-care owners, would receive $350,000 in fees.

The tentative settlement in the other case totals about $1.7 million. But DSHS says the split between the 21 plaintiffs and their private Seattle attorneys hasn’t been determined.

DSHS no longer oversees day-care licensing; those duties have been transferred to the state Department of Early Learning.

Earlier this year, U.S. Justice Department announced an agreement with the town of Mattawa, requiring it to establish a list of interpreters and guidelines for their use as well as ensuring that vital municipal documents are translated into Spanish.

The agreement resolved complaints accusing the town and police of failing to provide access to interpreters for Spanish-speaking residents who were victims of domestic violence.