White Iowa Couple Sues Over Alleged Race-Based Adoption Policy

Lawsuit Claims Race Illegally Factored Into Adoption Decision

LECLAIRE, Iowa — A white couple from eastern Iowa has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the state of using an unwritten and illegal race-based policy to block their adoption of three Black children who are part of their extended family.

Jacob and Renee Sankey of LeClaire say the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) rejected them as adoptive parents because of their race, in violation of federal and state laws. The Sankeys eventually adopted the children after a court ruling removed DHHS as guardian.

The civil lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, claims DHHS violated the Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994 and the Interethnic Adoption Provisions of 1996, as well as its own policies.

Adoption Dispute Sparks Legal Action

According to the complaint, the Sankeys are the great-aunt and great-uncle of the children. The children’s biological mother, adopted by other members of the Sankey family, reportedly had a history of incarceration and unstable living conditions. In early 2022, the state removed the children from her care and placed them temporarily with maternal grandparents.

That summer, the children began spending regular time with the Sankeys, who expressed interest in adopting them. After the children’s biological parents had their rights terminated in May 2023, DHHS assumed guardianship and formed a committee to select adoptive parents.

Both the Sankeys and another family — E’Shaya and Mary Anderson, African-American relatives of the children from Indiana — applied to adopt. DHHS selected the Andersons. The Sankeys allege this decision was based on race.

Emails, Testimony Raise Questions About DHHS Practices

The lawsuit references internal emails and sworn testimony as evidence that race and ethnicity were improperly considered.

In one email, DHHS adoption worker Katy James wrote: “I worry about if the girls go with the Sankeys in LeClaire, where there are very few people of color — let’s face it, that’s a very upper-middle class white environment and a very white, wealthy school district — how are the Sankeys going to introduce the girls to their culture?”

The lawsuit claims that at least seven of 15 emails between committee members made direct references to race or color. It also states the children’s court-appointed guardian violated department policy by participating in the selection committee’s deliberations, allegedly forwarding articles including one titled “The Weaponization of Whiteness.”

Court Removes DHHS as Guardian

In April 2024, a Johnson County judge found that DHHS violated federal law and removed the agency as guardian. The court questioned the basis for DHHS’ decision, citing the emphasis on race in both emails and testimony.

The judge noted the committee failed to explain why Mary Anderson was selected over Renee Sankey, despite the latter being a stay-at-home parent. DHHS did not appeal the ruling.

The Sankeys’ lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages and an injunction barring DHHS from continuing such practices. DHHS has not yet filed a legal response or commented on the case.