Are child welfare authorities racist? That was the conclusion of an article in Slate about a white lesbian couple from Oregon who killed themselves and their six black adoptive children by driving off a cliff in California in March (two of the children are still missing but presumed dead). “The way in which Sarah and Jennifer [Hart] managed to continually evade the notice or action of officials is a luxury that is by and large only provided to white parents,” Rachelle Hampton argued.

The Harts had come to the attention of child welfare authorities in three states before this tragedy. They had been reported for beating one child and for withholding food from others, with few consequences. But white parents aren’t the only ones who have been able to evade child welfare services.