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Guest
State pays $425,000 to settle suits
Workers cite push to ignore abuse
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071004/NEWS01/710040400/1008
By Deborah Yetter
dyetter@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
The state has paid $425,000 to settle lawsuits by two former Northern
Kentucky social workers who claim supervisors pressured them to ignore
suspected child abuse and neglect in order to close cases faster and
speed up adoptions.
Lawsuits by three more Northern Kentucky social workers are pending in
cases that collectively raise questions about how well social service
officials protect children in the region from abuse and neglect -- as
well as how the cabinet treats its own social workers.
The cases allege workers were directed to overlook alleged abuse,
including sexual abuse, to withhold information from judges and -- in
one case -- to leave two small children in a foster home where a
convicted sex offender visited and sometimes cared for the children.
"I have been a trial lawyer for 23 years and I have never seen anything
quite this egregious," said Tom Beiting, a Campbell County lawyer who
represents children who have been abused or neglected.
"I think there are a great many problems with the Cabinet for Health and
Family Services in Northern Kentucky," Beiting said.
Cabinet officials refused to comment yesterday, citing confidentiality
agreements signed in August when they settled two of the cases.
Shane Sidebottom, a Covington lawyer who represents the five former
social workers who filed "whistleblower" claims against the cabinet,
said the confidentiality agreements bar him from commenting, too, except
to say the settlements were "amicable."
Copies of the agreement the cabinet provided following an open records
request show that Pat Moore of Kenton County received $380,000 -- one of
the state's largest such payouts ever -- and Katherine Siereveld of
Grant County $45,000. Moore and Siereveld filed their lawsuits in 2005
in U.S. District Court in Covington. Former social workers Mary Beth
Amend and Colleen Bohman, both of Kenton County, and Christy Gillespie
of Boone County filed similar lawsuits last year in Boone Circuit Court.
Cabinet officials refused to say yesterday whether any changes have been
made in its Northern Kentucky operation or if any supervisors were
disciplined as a result of the worker's allegations.
The lawsuits allege that Joel Griffith, the top supervisor for the
12-county Northern Kentucky region, and other managers berated, harassed
and threatened social workers, pressuring them to overlook child abuse
and neglect in order to close cases and place children in adoptive homes
faster.
The cabinet is under intense pressure from federal law to close cases
and place children in adoptive homes or face sanctions, including losing
federal funds, the lawsuits said.
Moore's lawsuit claims Griffith, who remains in charge of the region,
tried to force her to place two young children for adoption with an
unsuitable foster family -- including one relative with a
drug-trafficking conviction and another who was a convicted sex offender.
Griffith also held a meeting sometime in 2003 for all the supervisors in
the region in which he discussed a plan to force workers to quit by
placing "virtually unachievable" demands on them, then reprimanding them
for not succeeding, according to sworn testimony by former cabinet
supervisor Julie Huffman provided in Sierevald's lawsuit.
All five workers allege in their lawsuits that they suffered such
treatment as retaliation for pointing out problems that placed children
in increased danger of abuse or neglect. They eventually resigned
because of stress and harassment from supervisors, their lawsuits said
Advocate David Richart said the cabinet needs to investigate whether
well-documented problems in other areas of the state are occurring in
Northern Kentucky -- such as high caseloads, falsification of records
and hasty investigations.
"I think it shows the tip of the iceberg," said Richart, who helped
conduct a survey last year that found widespread complaints about the
social service system throughout the state.
The cabinet is seeking to fire six social service employees in the
Hardin County region after an investigation by its inspector general
found some workers had falsified records, lied in court and mistreated
families in child abuse and neglect cases.
State Rep. Tom Burch, D-Louisville and chairman of the House Health and
Welfare Committee, said he wasn't aware of the recent settlements but
said he has been concerned about continuing reports of problems with
social services. He said he's also concerned about the potential cost
once the three pending cases are resolved.
"It's going to cost us half a million dollars," he said. "The taxpayers
are paying that."
Details of claims by Moore -- the 10-year social worker who received the
largest payment -- are especially disturbing, said Beiting, who works as
a "guardian ad litem," a lawyer appointed by a judge to represent
children in child welfare cases.
Beiting said he was directly involved in one case Moore cited in which
she said she resisted intense pressure from Griffith and other
supervisors to keep two small children with an unsuitable foster family
who wanted to adopt the youngsters.
Beiting had been appointed to represent the children, who had been
removed from their birth parents because of abuse and neglect.
Neither foster parent had obtained training and certification that the
cabinet requires for foster and adoptive parents, Beiting said
The foster father had disappeared -- even though he and the foster
mother were collecting payments from the cabinet to care for the
children, Beiting said. A son in the home had recently been released
from prison for drug trafficking, he said, and a relative -- convicted
of child sexual abuse -- visited the home regularly and sometimes
babysat the children.
Yet supervisors were pressing Moore to push the adoption through and
close the case, Beiting said.
He said Moore and two co-workers approached him, fearful of what would
happen to the children. Moore was in tears and said she would probably
lose her job for revealing details about the case to him, Beiting said.
Beiting said he obtained the cabinet's internal file on the case from
Frankfort after local supervisors refused to give it to him -- even
though, as the children's lawyer, he was entitled to it. The file
documented Moore's account so Beiting presented that information to the
judge in charge of the case.
After a hearing, the judge ordered the children removed and barred the
family from ever taking in foster children, Beiting said.
Beiting said the children are safe now, in a "loving environment."
"Those two children never stood a chance until the social workers had
the courage to come to me," he said. Otherwise, "God knows what would
have become of those children."
Reporter Deborah Yetter can be reached at (502) 582-4228.
CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA / CIA
WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....
CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.
every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...
http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf
http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com
Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS
Perpetrators of Maltreatment
Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5
Imagine that, 6.4 children die at the hands of the very agencies that
are supposed to protect them and only 1.5 at the hands of parents per
100,000 children. CPS perpetrates more abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse
and kills more children then parents in the United States. If the
citizens of this country hold CPS to the same standards that they hold
parents too. No judge should ever put another child in the hands of ANY
government agency because CPS nationwide is guilty of more harm and
death than any human being combined. CPS nationwide is guilty of more
human rights violations and deaths of children then the homes from which
they were removed. When are the judges going to wake up and see that
they are sending children to their death and a life of abuse when
children are removed from safe homes based on the mere opinion of a
bunch of social workers.
CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...
BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...
Workers cite push to ignore abuse
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071004/NEWS01/710040400/1008
By Deborah Yetter
dyetter@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
The state has paid $425,000 to settle lawsuits by two former Northern
Kentucky social workers who claim supervisors pressured them to ignore
suspected child abuse and neglect in order to close cases faster and
speed up adoptions.
Lawsuits by three more Northern Kentucky social workers are pending in
cases that collectively raise questions about how well social service
officials protect children in the region from abuse and neglect -- as
well as how the cabinet treats its own social workers.
The cases allege workers were directed to overlook alleged abuse,
including sexual abuse, to withhold information from judges and -- in
one case -- to leave two small children in a foster home where a
convicted sex offender visited and sometimes cared for the children.
"I have been a trial lawyer for 23 years and I have never seen anything
quite this egregious," said Tom Beiting, a Campbell County lawyer who
represents children who have been abused or neglected.
"I think there are a great many problems with the Cabinet for Health and
Family Services in Northern Kentucky," Beiting said.
Cabinet officials refused to comment yesterday, citing confidentiality
agreements signed in August when they settled two of the cases.
Shane Sidebottom, a Covington lawyer who represents the five former
social workers who filed "whistleblower" claims against the cabinet,
said the confidentiality agreements bar him from commenting, too, except
to say the settlements were "amicable."
Copies of the agreement the cabinet provided following an open records
request show that Pat Moore of Kenton County received $380,000 -- one of
the state's largest such payouts ever -- and Katherine Siereveld of
Grant County $45,000. Moore and Siereveld filed their lawsuits in 2005
in U.S. District Court in Covington. Former social workers Mary Beth
Amend and Colleen Bohman, both of Kenton County, and Christy Gillespie
of Boone County filed similar lawsuits last year in Boone Circuit Court.
Cabinet officials refused to say yesterday whether any changes have been
made in its Northern Kentucky operation or if any supervisors were
disciplined as a result of the worker's allegations.
The lawsuits allege that Joel Griffith, the top supervisor for the
12-county Northern Kentucky region, and other managers berated, harassed
and threatened social workers, pressuring them to overlook child abuse
and neglect in order to close cases and place children in adoptive homes
faster.
The cabinet is under intense pressure from federal law to close cases
and place children in adoptive homes or face sanctions, including losing
federal funds, the lawsuits said.
Moore's lawsuit claims Griffith, who remains in charge of the region,
tried to force her to place two young children for adoption with an
unsuitable foster family -- including one relative with a
drug-trafficking conviction and another who was a convicted sex offender.
Griffith also held a meeting sometime in 2003 for all the supervisors in
the region in which he discussed a plan to force workers to quit by
placing "virtually unachievable" demands on them, then reprimanding them
for not succeeding, according to sworn testimony by former cabinet
supervisor Julie Huffman provided in Sierevald's lawsuit.
All five workers allege in their lawsuits that they suffered such
treatment as retaliation for pointing out problems that placed children
in increased danger of abuse or neglect. They eventually resigned
because of stress and harassment from supervisors, their lawsuits said
Advocate David Richart said the cabinet needs to investigate whether
well-documented problems in other areas of the state are occurring in
Northern Kentucky -- such as high caseloads, falsification of records
and hasty investigations.
"I think it shows the tip of the iceberg," said Richart, who helped
conduct a survey last year that found widespread complaints about the
social service system throughout the state.
The cabinet is seeking to fire six social service employees in the
Hardin County region after an investigation by its inspector general
found some workers had falsified records, lied in court and mistreated
families in child abuse and neglect cases.
State Rep. Tom Burch, D-Louisville and chairman of the House Health and
Welfare Committee, said he wasn't aware of the recent settlements but
said he has been concerned about continuing reports of problems with
social services. He said he's also concerned about the potential cost
once the three pending cases are resolved.
"It's going to cost us half a million dollars," he said. "The taxpayers
are paying that."
Details of claims by Moore -- the 10-year social worker who received the
largest payment -- are especially disturbing, said Beiting, who works as
a "guardian ad litem," a lawyer appointed by a judge to represent
children in child welfare cases.
Beiting said he was directly involved in one case Moore cited in which
she said she resisted intense pressure from Griffith and other
supervisors to keep two small children with an unsuitable foster family
who wanted to adopt the youngsters.
Beiting had been appointed to represent the children, who had been
removed from their birth parents because of abuse and neglect.
Neither foster parent had obtained training and certification that the
cabinet requires for foster and adoptive parents, Beiting said
The foster father had disappeared -- even though he and the foster
mother were collecting payments from the cabinet to care for the
children, Beiting said. A son in the home had recently been released
from prison for drug trafficking, he said, and a relative -- convicted
of child sexual abuse -- visited the home regularly and sometimes
babysat the children.
Yet supervisors were pressing Moore to push the adoption through and
close the case, Beiting said.
He said Moore and two co-workers approached him, fearful of what would
happen to the children. Moore was in tears and said she would probably
lose her job for revealing details about the case to him, Beiting said.
Beiting said he obtained the cabinet's internal file on the case from
Frankfort after local supervisors refused to give it to him -- even
though, as the children's lawyer, he was entitled to it. The file
documented Moore's account so Beiting presented that information to the
judge in charge of the case.
After a hearing, the judge ordered the children removed and barred the
family from ever taking in foster children, Beiting said.
Beiting said the children are safe now, in a "loving environment."
"Those two children never stood a chance until the social workers had
the courage to come to me," he said. Otherwise, "God knows what would
have become of those children."
Reporter Deborah Yetter can be reached at (502) 582-4228.
CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA / CIA
WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....
CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.
every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...
http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf
http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com
Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS
Perpetrators of Maltreatment
Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5
Imagine that, 6.4 children die at the hands of the very agencies that
are supposed to protect them and only 1.5 at the hands of parents per
100,000 children. CPS perpetrates more abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse
and kills more children then parents in the United States. If the
citizens of this country hold CPS to the same standards that they hold
parents too. No judge should ever put another child in the hands of ANY
government agency because CPS nationwide is guilty of more harm and
death than any human being combined. CPS nationwide is guilty of more
human rights violations and deaths of children then the homes from which
they were removed. When are the judges going to wake up and see that
they are sending children to their death and a life of abuse when
children are removed from safe homes based on the mere opinion of a
bunch of social workers.
CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...
BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...
