The mother of a tragic 7-year-old girl who died after a year of “systemic” abuse is suing Suffolk County and local school officials for placing the youngster in a nightmarish house of horrors.
Portia Duncan claims that little Jor’Dynn Duncan’s fate was sealed when the county turned the girl over to her dad’s fiancée, where she allegedly suffered horrific and ongoing abuse that finally took he life in December, according to papers filed in Suffolk County court.
She’s seeking $250 million in wrongful death damages.
“Today is the first step toward getting justice for Jor’Dynn,” Derek Sells, the attorney representing the grieving mom, told The Post on Tuesday. “We will not let her death be in vain. Hopefully, through this legal claim, we will help save other at risk children.”
Jor’Dynn was placed in the custody of Emily Kelly, her dad’s fiancée, in December 2024 after a custody dispute, with the tot moving into the Bayport home shared by Kelly, her mother and her daughter.
All three generations are now charged in the death of the defenseless youngster.
Jor’Dynn was placed in Kelly’s custody at the request of the girl’s dad, Derrick Dixon, who is currently serving a four-year state prison sentence on an attempted burglary conviction.
Despite Portia Duncan’s objections, Kelly was given full custody of the girl in April 2025.
According to Suffolk County prosecutors, the girl endured ongoing abuse in the home, including “sharp force injuries,” repeated beatings and restraint that forced the battered second-grader to miss a total of 40 school days at the Bayport-Blue Point School District.
“This was not an alleged single act of violence,” Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney said when he announced the criminal charges in May. “It was months of alleged systemic cruelty and sadistic abuse.”
Jor’Dynn’s tiny body finally gave out on Dec. 29, when police received a 911 call that the girl was in cardiac arrest and she was rushed to NYU Langone Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
In May, prosecutors unsealed an indictment charging Kelly with second degree murder, while her mother, 75-year-old Barbara Renner, and her daughter, Elyssa Seymore, 24, were hit with related charges, including assault and unlawful imprisonment.
In the court papers filed July 5, Portia Duncan said the school district failed to raise concerns over the absences and failed to report “outwardly obvious physical signs of abuse,” and even tried to hide them.
She also claimed that county Child Protective Services and the Department of Social Services dropped the ball by failing to keep tabs on Jor’Dynn’s health and wellbeing until it was too late.
Suffolk County officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In an email, a spokesperson for the Bayport-Blue Point School District acknowledged receiving the court papers.
“As a standard practice, the district does not comment on pending legal matters,” the spokesperson said.
