County panel erred in blocking firing of social worker involved in child torture case, judge rules

County panel erred in blocking firing of social worker involved in child torture case, judge rules - LA Times:
A Los Angeles County judge ruled Thursday that the county’s disciplinary appeals board made a series of errors in its decision to reinstate one of the supervising social workers who failed to remove 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez from his home before he was tortured and killed.
Superior Court Judge James Chalfant sent the case back to the county’s civil service commission for a new hearing to decide Gregory Merritt’s fate. In the meantime, Merritt will once again be terminated and his pay will stop.