AUSTIN — Texas: Reports detail abuse at Texas facilities,Records show mentally retarded children and adults were pushed, hit, kicked by staffers...

Reports detail abuse at Texas facilities
Records show mentally retarded were pushed, hit, kicked by staffers

By JANET ELLIOTT and LISA SANDBERG
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4992738.html

AUSTIN — Abuse, neglect and humiliation are a stark reality for hundreds
of mentally retarded children and adults living in Texas' state schools,
employee disciplinary records show.

With disturbing regularity, employees pushed, hit, kicked, knocked down
and dragged residents. One of the worst cases occurred in December 2005,
when a caretaker at Brenham State School hit or kicked a resident hard
enough to cause three cracked ribs and a lacerated liver.

Workers also frequently neglected their frail charges, in some cases
allowing them to eat cigarette butts, scald themselves or be sexually
abused by other residents.

The Houston Chronicle reviewed hundreds of pages of documents showing
how employees were disciplined for abuse and neglect at nine different
facilities. The Texas Attorney General ordered the records released
under the state public information laws.

The records show instances in which abusive employees were allowed to
remain on the job, working with the same vulnerable population.

An aide at Lufkin State School who struck a resident on the head with a
plastic cup, causing a 1½-inch cut, was reassigned so he would not have
contact with that resident.

Employees who slapped, twisted arms and knocked residents to the floor
were routinely given short suspensions.

Jeff Garrison-Tate, an advocate for the disabled who regularly visits
the state schools, said he is "floored" to hear that some workers who
abuse residents are allowed to keep their jobs.

"That person should be terminated without question," he said. "If (the
Department of Aging and Disability Services) is supporting that type of
decisions, that's grossly inappropriate."

The records show that problems already surfaced at Lubbock State School,
which is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Department
of Justice's civil rights division. A report on that facility, delivered
to the governor's office in December, was sharply critical of inadequate
staffing, poor sanitation and treatment practices.

About 4,900 adults and children live in 13 residential facilities in
Texas. All of the residents have been diagnosed with mental retardation
and some also suffer from mental illness and physical disabilities.

Officials with the Department of Aging and Disability Services say
outside state investigators confirmed nearly 300 cases of abuse and
neglect during each of the past two fiscal years. But they maintain that
the majority of direct care workers do a good job.

"Most of the people who work in these state schools are there because
they truly enjoy serving the population that we serve, and they are
dedicated to a good life for the residents who live in our state
schools," said Cecilia Fedorov, a spokeswoman for the department. "In
any direct care environment, whether it's a hospital, a nursing home, a
state school, you're going to have people who just take advantage of
more vulnerable people."

3,200 cases investigated
Reports of abuse and neglect are investigated by a different state
agency, the Department of Family and Protective Services. About 3,200
allegations are investigated each year, and allegations are confirmed in
about 9 percent of cases.

Although the names of the residents were redacted for privacy reasons,
the records put human faces on the mistreatment.

In 2003, an employee with a documented history of abuse at the Abilene
State School who verbally abused a resident, repeatedly yelling
expletives at him and calling him "lazy," was merely demoted. The verbal
abuse seemed to have an impact on the resident, who was overheard saying
that the employee was "mad at me and now my life is over."

At the Richmond State School, an aide in January 2001 fed or allowed hot
jalapeño peppers to be eaten by several female residents, and then
laughed at their reactions while refusing them water.

A resident at Lufkin State School ate a gauze pad and a length of tape
while unattended in June 2003.

Sexual activity occurred at several facilities after employees who were
supposed to be keeping watch fell asleep.

A spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry, meanwhile, decried the abuses but
defended the agency's handling of them.

"There's no excuse for the reports but these events have been dealt with
swiftly and decisively," said spokeswoman Krista Moody. "The governor
believes Commissioner (Addie) Horn has taken proactive action."

Horn told lawmakers earlier this year she is boosting training for
employees. The Legislature responded to problems by appropriating an
additional $50 million to hire more than 1,600 employees and move some
residents into community group homes.

It was unclear from the records whether the abuse or neglect had caused
any deaths.

Records were not available from Mexia State School, where a 15-year-old
boy died in January after being improperly restrained by three
employees, who were fired.

The Justice Department report said a number of the 17 deaths that
occurred at the Lubbock State School between June 2005 and December 2006
raised concerns about quality of care. Lubbock records were not provided
because of the ongoing investigation and possibility of federal litigation.

Disparity found
The records show a wide disparity in the treatment of employees who were
found to have engaged in abuse or neglect.

Employees whose abuse was found to have caused serious bodily injury
were fired, as is required by law. But punishment for nonserious
injuries, verbal abuse and neglect varied widely among the facilities
because state law provides a range of punishment from dismissal to a
written reprimand.

In the summer of 2004, two employees at the San Angelo State School were
fired for throwing a resident who was wearing a restraining jacket into
a swimming pool. The resident sank to the bottom when the life vest,
which had been placed over the restraining jacket, came undone. Two
fellow residents managed to pull the victim safely to the side of the pool.

Four years earlier at the same school, an employee was suspended for
hitting a resident on his helmet and in the face and kicking him in the
legs.

The assault took place a few days before Christmas and, according to
fellow staff, the resident, though he couldn't talk, had been expressing
eagerness at the prospect of going home for a holiday visit.

The employee told the resident he didn't deserve to go home and if he
did go home, it would only be for a day. A fellow staff member reported
that the resident "became very angry and started throwing punches in the
air and making angry faces." That's when the employee assaulted the
resident.

Austin Bureau staffer Amy Raskin contributed to this article.








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.

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...


CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING HUNDREDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...