Tuesday, January 15, 2008

CPS supervisor has relationship with child abuser

CPS supervisor has relationship with child abuser
Updated: May 28, 2007 10:09 AM MST
Only on 4, startling new information on a supervisor for child protective services. News 4 has learned from multiple sources, and a confidential document, that there's been a "relationship" between a Tucson CPS supervisor and one of her former clients.
The client is a convicted child abuser.
The document, dated December 20, 2004, describes abuse earlier that month of a 4 year old by his father.
Daycare workers noticed the boy had 9 or 10 bright red welts on his right hip and below his right buttocks." The police were called, and an investigation was conducted. The father, eventually, pled guilty to child abuse.
But there's more to this story. The convicted child abuser began a romantic relationship with a CPS supervisor in her office 10 months before the abuse occurred.
And even before the relationship began, that supervisor was the family's case manager from December 2000 to October of 2002.
The document details abusive incidents dating back 10-years. Here are just some of the details:
In April of 1995, the document says, "The father punched [his daughter] in the face when the parents were arguing."
September of 2000, "The children would go to neighbors asking for food" and that there was "no formula for [the baby]." All three kids were then removed from the home, but returned in 2002.
August of 2002, another report is filed. It says the man's daughter "went to school with bruising and broken capillaries on the right side and left sides of her face." Despite the substantiated report that the father slapped the daughter, the kids remained with their father.
Then the December 2004 abuse occurred. The CPS supervisor was questioned about her romantic relationship, and her knowledge of the alleged abuse, and "denied ever seeing any unusual or suspicious injuries on the children." However, she admitted, the father "yells profanities at the children in her presence."
We found another CPS worker who doesn't want to be identified. She said, the rank and file have been outraged for years by all of this.
Turns out, the relationship may not have been against the rules. A CPS spokesperson tells News 4, workers should abide by a code of ethics in which "case managers should maintain nothing more than a professional relationship with families while they are involved in the investigation of abuse/neglect allegations, or while they are involved in providing on-going support and services to children and families. Once the case has ended, relationships are discouraged."
State Representative Jonathan Paton was mailed the same document that was sent anonymously to News 4. He says the fact that a CPS worker could be allowed to date her former client at all -- especially one who's a convicted child abuser -- speaks poorly to the management of CPS.
News 4 has learned the father will be on probation, convicted of child abuse, until 2008.
His three children were returned to him last August.
News 4 spoke with the CPS supervisor in question. She turned down my request for an interview.
We'll will bring you any new developments in this story when they happen.

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