US EditionMinnesota County Pays $3.25M to Settle ND Sisters' Civil Rights Suit
Mahnomen County paid $3.25 million to settle after flawed child abuse probes led to wrongful removal and 18 months of family separation, lawyers said.
- Last week, Mahnomen County agreed to pay $3.25 million to resolve a federal civil-rights lawsuit by Amy and Karley Thorson after the Mahnomen County Commission voted to accept the deal on Dec. 9.
- The Mahnomen County investigation began after school reports and a December 2025 maltreatment determination by Cristie Cahlin despite inconsistent child disclosures.
- Judges reviewing the case found serious procedural lapses and faulty testimony as two administrative law judges in St. Paul overturned Cahlin's determinations and said she was defensive and contradictory.
- Separated from their children for 543 days, the family endured prolonged harm before the Thorsons' three young children returned to Amy Thorson's care on June 19, 2024, and Karley faced a licensing review and suspension.
- County officials and workers maintain their denials as questions about discipline remain, with Cristie Cahlin, Julie Hanson and Mahnomen County denying the federal suit despite settling, while attorney Andy Noel said `The settlement sends a strong message` and called the payout unusually high.
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Minnesota county pays $3.25M to settle ND sisters' civil rights suit
FARGO — "All that comes to mind is 543 days. Five hundred and forty-three days where my family and I were forbidden from having any contact with my children." Those are the words of Amy Thorson, a Fargo mom, reacting to the outcome of a case she and her sister, Karley Thorson, filed last year, alleging civil rights violations against Minnesota's Mahnomen County and two child protective services workers, Cristie Cahlin and Julie Hanson. The feder…
Minnesota county pays $3.25M to settle Fargo sisters' civil rights suit
FARGO — "All that comes to mind is 543 days. 543 days where my family and I were forbidden from having any contact with my children." Those are the words of Amy Thorson, a Fargo mom, reacting to the outcome of a case she and her sister, Karley Thorson, filed last year, alleging civil rights violations against Minnesota's Mahnomen County and two child protective services workers, Cristie Cahlin and Julie Hanson. The federal suit came to an end la…
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