Baby Blood Case - KANUSZEWSKI, Et Al v. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Et Al
Baby Blood Case - KANUSZEWSKI, Et Al v. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Et Al
Plaintiffs, CORRECTED
OUTSIDE LEGAL COUNSEL PLC
COMPLAINT
v. ________________
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Defendants
/
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INTRODUCTION
which has seized blood samples from its youngest citizens, as newborn
idea but the method by which Michigan has opted to implement the
States Constitution.
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secure a warrant from a neutral, detached magistrate before taking the blood
government.
knowledge of blood or blood spots being drawn from their newborn child
while their precious new addition to their family was in the care of hospital
staff which were then being turned over the government for its permanent
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agencies, and those that work for or in cahoots with those agencies.
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unconstitutional.
Cruzan v Director, Missouri Dep’t of Health, 497 U.S. 261, 278 (1990).
“require piercing the skin” and “extract a part of the subject’s body,” see
Birchfield, supra.
10. Moreover, once the alleged testing is finished, the sued state
agency and its officials do not destroy the taken samples but instead
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Infants’ blood samples after the completion of the newborn screening tests
under the program names of Michigan BioTrust for Health and/or the
held by the Michigan BioTrust for Health, the Michigan Department of Health
and Human Services indicated that twenty-two (22) forensics requests were
proffered.
against these persons/entities for using the blood samples for other
purposes.
14. This entire process violates the United States Constitution and
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of newborn children.
PARTIES
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HUMAN SERVICES is a state agency formed under the laws of the State of
Michigan with its principal office is located at 333 S. Grand Avenue, Lansing,
Michigan.
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official and individual capacities while acting under the color of law.
HUMAN SERVICES and is sued in his official and individual capacities while
serves as manager of Michigan BioTrust for Health, and is sued in her official
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HUMAN SERVICES and is sued in her official and individual capacities while
entity formed under the laws of the State of Michigan and is, by operation of
law, a state actor subject to the limitations and prohibitions of the United
States Constitution; its principal office is located at 440 Burroughs St, Detroit,
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JURISDICTION
against Defendants for past and ongoing violations of the Fourth and
U.S.C. § 1343, which authorizes federal courts to hear civil rights cases; and
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GENERAL ALLEGATIONS
30. Since at least 1987 (but perhaps earlier), certain Defendants (or
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routinely and unlawfully caused the illegal collection of samples of blood from
all or nearly all newborn babies in Michigan at the time of birth and stored
research unrelated to the purposes for which the infants’ blood was originally
charge of the care of each newborn infant or at the birth of an infant was
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breach the outside skin of the newborn Infants to extract five or six samples
34. Each Parent was, at the time of the extraction of blood spots,
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unaware that health professional was taking their child’s blood for the
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purpose of providing the blood spots to the state government when the
35. The Parents did not reasonably understand, were not reasonably
told, or did not give expressed informed consent to the State of Michigan to
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Interestingly, Michigan law only requires the health care professional
to “administered to the infant a test” to detect certain diseases in newborns.
MCL 333.5431(1). Michigan law does not require the State of Michigan or its
laboratories to be the entity that ultimately performs the tests. However, the
State, by these Defendants, have misused and misapplied the statute in an
unconstitutional manner to require a massive dragnet scheme, undertaken
without consent, for the extraction of blood spots and turning over those
samples to the government for all newborn infants, and later causing the
indefinite seizure and storage of the blood spots as if the State’s own
property. So, while the statute itself might (and that is not a foregone
conclusion) pass constitutional muster, its interpretation and application by
these state actors does not.
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authorize its agents and/or the conscripted health professionals to take their
respective Infants’ blood for the purpose of providing the blood spots to the
government.
Infants for the purpose of extracting a part of each Infants’ body for testing in
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federal law.
37. The Infants’ blood spots are seized 24-48 hours post-birth on a
filter paper collection device created and compelled for use by Defendant
Exhibit B.
38. This filter paper collection device is known the Dried Blood Spot
(“DBS”) card.
to this illegal and unlawful violation of the Infants’ constitutional rights and
has taken no steps to stop the unlawful process individually or in his role as
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40. The Parents are also charged a fee, usually more than $100.00,
41. After searching and seizing the blood drops from Infants 24-48
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under the authority of Defendants NICK LYON, DR. SANDIP SHAH, DR.
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or secured the informed and/or lawful consent of the Infants or their Parents
46. Regardless of whether those blood spots had tested positive for
47. On information and belief, every Infant in this legal action has the
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48. At no point were the Parents ever presented with the option to
simply opt out of the blood draw before it occurred, the seizure of blood spots
49. At some point during the birth of the Infants, the Parents might
have been presented with a card giving the Parents an option of whether
they want their Infants’ already illegally seized and tested blood to be
50. On information and belief, the Parents did not provide this
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consent, and if they did so sign such a document they had an insufficient
51. After testing is complete, the Infants’ blood spots are transferred
collectively, require the submission of certain data about the blood spots and
genders, weight, gestation time, and whether transfused with red blood cells
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54. Despite claiming that the Infants’ identities are decoupled from
BIOBANK readily and publicly admits that it is easily possible to request and
break the blind causing the private medical and genetic information of the
Infants to be revealed.
access, use, or utilize the private medical and genetic information of the
Infants which is obtainable through blood and blood-based testing, see MCL
333.5431.
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known as Tech Town as willful participants in joint action with the State
57. The DBS cards containing the seized dried blood spots of Infants
are stored in archival boxes and are under the custody and control of
over five million residual newborn blood spot specimens representing nearly
every Michigan birth since at least October 1987, but on information and
nearly all its funding from the State of Michigan to indefinitely store the
Infants’ blood and to conduct tests on the Infants’ blood including for medical
studies, laboratory equipment calibration, and other uses not provided for by
“over 160 biomarkers and compounds have been measured in seized dried
blood spots, from DNA and proteins to metals and infectious agents.”
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61. Since the blood spots contain deeply private medical and genetic
information, the Parents are concerned and fear about the potential for
their Infants and perhaps even relatives through the use of such blood
62. The Parents are concerned and fear that Michigan statutory law
enforcement, state actors, or private actors who gaining access to the blood
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BIOBANK.
63. For purposes of this case, the Infants, by their Parents, allege
otherwise liable via civil conspiracy under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 despite being
64. For purposes of this case, the Infants, by their Parents, allege
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conscripted doctors’ conduct and the conduct those under their command
within the Department who commit violations of the US Constitution, see e.g.
Exhibits D, E, and F.
COUNT I
66. The prior allegations are alleged word for word herein.
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67. The search of an Infant for the seizure of their blood spots for
piercing device to breach the outside skin of the newborn to extract five or
six blood drops and seize those blood spots for testing and use by the
government.
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and wantonly deprived the Infants of their right to be free from unlawful
(ALL DEFENDANTS)
72. The prior allegations are alleged word for word herein.
reasonable and rationale basis undertaken without the actual and informed
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test, keep, store, and use the blood of the Infants by the government.
and wantonly deprived the Infants of their right to be free from unlawful and
76. Defendants’ actions were done individually and also via a plan
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indefinitely by the Michigan BioTrust for Health and/or the Michigan Neonatal
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COUNT IV
42 U.S.C. § 1983
79. The prior allegations are alleged word for word herein.
81. The US Supreme Court has held a competent person had the
procedures, Cruzan v Director, Missouri Dep’t of Health, 497 U.S. 261, 278
(1990).
82. Here, the Parents were never given the choice to decide whether
to accept or reject the medical procedure of the testing all or some of the 50+
for government seizures and use without informed consent of the Parents
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RELIEF REQUESTED
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Constitution;
2
“The department may require that the tests be performed by the
department.”
3
The informed consent requirements of sections 17020 and 17520 do
not apply to the tests required under subsection (1). The tests required under
subsection (1) shall be administered and reported within a time and under
conditions prescribed by the department. The department may require that
the tests be performed by the department.
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informed consent;
return to the Parents all blood samples and spots of the Infants,
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been used the blood samples and spots of the Infants and
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Constitution;
l. Enter an order for all such other relief the court deems equitable
and/or just.
JURY DEMAND
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