For nearly 10 years of his short 14-year life, Lamarion Moland was in foster care and group homes, a system his siblings say rarely listened to him and failed him at every turn.
"They'd rather see him in jail than have to deal with him," his brother Michael Uhl said. "They failed that kid."
On Sept. 3, Lamarion jumped out a caseworker's car while he was being taken from a psychiatric facility back to the group home where he was living, according to a Springfield Township police report.
The report states that Lamarion had previously said he intended to do exactly that. Nevertheless, the decision was made to transport him.
After years of moving between foster homes, Lamarion was living at Mid-Western Children's Home near Goshen. A week before the
incident on Ronald Reagan Highway, he had been admitted to the Cincinnati Children's psychiatric facility in College Hill after making threats to harm himself, according to the police report.
The caseworker told officers he was scheduled to be discharged a day earlier on Sept. 2 but remained at the facility after "he made threats about jumping from a moving vehicle to kill himself."
According to the report, that is exactly what happened during the drive back to the group home.
After Lamarion jumped, bystanders stopped to perform CPR. A Springfield Township police recruit then continued lifesaving efforts until firefighters and paramedics arrived.
The caseworker told police she believed she was traveling about 60 mph when the teen, who was seated in the back seat, opened the vehicle's door.
She told the officers she "thought she had the child locks on the vehicle, but ultimately didn't," investigators reported.
Remembering Lamarion
Lamarion was rushed from the highway to Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Several of his siblings gathered at his bedside.
Lamarion has five brothers and sisters, now split among three different homes. All entered the foster care system in 2017 while living with their biological mother in Middletown. Every sibling except Lamarion has since been adopted.
His two oldest brothers, Steven Uhl, 21, and Michael Uhl, 19, came to the hospital with their mother.
The brothers say Lamarion was sweet and artistic and loved animals and musicals. For weeks, they had been planning to arrange a pass from the group home so they could have a movie night and watch the sequel to "Wicked." Lamarion loved the first film but had not yet seen the second.
With the 14-year-old unconscious in a hospital bed, they fulfilled that wish and watched it with him.
Steven Uhl said his mom often described Lamarion as the "little version of me." He recalled taking his younger brother for drives and introducing him to Beyoncé's music.
Steven and Michael's mother had been working to bring Lamarion into her home after her older sons moved out.
"A lot of this could've been avoided if people just listened," Steven Uhl said. "No one took him seriously."
Michael Uhl said the places that were tasked with caring for Lamarion didn't let him handle his emotions in ways that worked for him.
"The coping skills he needs, they wouldn't let him do them," he said. "It's their way for no way."
Both brothers said Lamarion disliked the caseworker who drove him back to the group home and questioned why she had been assigned to transport him.
Steven Uhl also wondered whether Lamarion would have been treated differently if he had not been Black.
"They pretend to care about the kids and their families, but at the end of the day they just do what they want," Steven Uhl said.
A week of peace
Doctors quickly determined that the brain injuries Lamarion suffered would be fatal.
Although he never regained consciousness, he survived for nearly a week in the hospital.
Michael Uhl said he was impressed by the care and compassion shown by hospital staff. During one visit, he found a doctor sitting with Lamarion and watching a movie.
"I don't think that kid ever had a peaceful day in his whole life," Michael Uhl said. But at the hospital, "he was at peace."
"He fought hard to get that final week of peace," he said.
On Sept. 9, the hospital held an honor walk for Lamarion after it was decided that his organs would be donated. He died that day. His funeral was held Sept. 23.
Seeking change after a tragedy
Ohio's Department of Children and Youth reviews every case involving a fatality in the childrens service system.
"Our hearts go out to all involved with this very tragic situation," department spokeswoman Jodi Trimble said in a statement.
Trimble said the reviews are intended to determine whether county agencies complied with federal and state requirements.
"These reviews also give an opportunity for the state to evaluate if there was something that happened that could have been handled differently and whether there are lessons to be learned from the cases that would require a policy or rule change," she wrote.
The Enquirer contacted Butler County Job and Family Services, which manages placements for children living in group homes and typically holds custody of those children. The Enquirer also contacted Mid-Western Children's Home. Neither the agency nor the group home responded before publication.
Michael Uhl said he has received messages from other teenagers in care and from people who knew Lamarion describing problems within the system.
"It's hard to change until people start speaking out about what's going on behind closed doors," he said.
Michael Uhl said the people responsible for protecting and caring for Lamarion had given up on him, and he does not want the same thing to happen to anyone else.
"They pushed him," he said. "They pushed him to edge and he jumped."
If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call 988 any time day or night, or chat online. Crisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Warnings not heeded before foster teen jumped from vehicle, family says
