BY ANDY GARDNER
North Country This Week

CANTON — A woman is suing St. Lawrence County under the Child Victims Act for negligence stemming from alleged sexual abuse by foster parents in the 1970s.

The defendant, named in court documents by the initials C.I., is suing the county and 10 unnamed defendants.

The complaint says C.I. “made a diligent effort” to name the 10 other defendants but “has been unable to do so.” It says they were responsible for her safety, supervision or placement in foster care.

Court documents say the two foster fathers who sexually abused C.I. are Gene Thomas and George Burkum. It says the abuse began when she was 10 years old, about six months after being placed in the Thomas house. It says Thomas and a friend identified as Ray would sexually abuse the girl. It also says she and her brother were physically abused by the foster parents. That allegedly happened in or around 1973.

Around 1976, C.I. was placed in the home of George and Thelma Burkum, when the defendant was about 13 years old. Court documents say she was physically and verbally abused there. It says she was sexually abused in that home by George Burkum and his adult son, Daniel.

The complaint alleges C.I. complained to her social worker, Gertrude Stacy, about the physical and sexual abuse.

“The complaint was never investigated by defendants and no corrective measures were taken,” court documents say.

The document goes on to say C.I. warned another social worker, Rita Whalen, not to place another female foster child in the home because of the physical and sexual abuse.

It goes on to say Thelma Burkum physically abused and beat C.I. for making the report.

The court documents go on to accuse the county and the Department of Social Services for “substantial structural and systemic flaws and deficiencies in the foster care system” at the time.

The complaint files two counts of negligence against the county.

County Attorney Steve Button said he had no comment on the lawsuit.