The wrongful death lawsuit concerning the tragic death of three-year-old Ke’Torrius “K.J.” Starkes Jr. continues to unfold in Jefferson County. The case, filed by Ethanlynn Stewart on behalf of K.J.’s estate, targets the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) and Covenant Services, a private contractor. The lawsuit alleges negligence after K.J. died in July 2025, having been left in a hot car for over five hours by Kela Stanford, a contracted DHR transport worker.
Plaintiff Stewart argues that Covenant Services and its executive director, Roderick Henderson, failed in their duties to properly hire and supervise Stanford. The plaintiff contends that Covenant Services is not entitled to state-agent immunity, as it is a private contractor and its actions were not discretionary…..