Randy J. Lack, 58, a Pottawatomie County child-welfare specialist, has denied doing anything wrong. He worked for the Department of Human Services for 11 years.
The principal DHS worker on the Serenity Deal case was fired Tuesday.
Randy J. Lack, 58, a Pottawatomie County child-welfare specialist, has denied doing anything wrong. He worked for the Department of Human Services for 11 years.
Serenity Deal, 5, died in June from an assault after she began living full time with her father in Oklahoma City at the recommendation of Lack and other DHS workers.
The father, Sean Devon Brooks, now is charged with first-degree murder. She was placed with her father from foster care even though she was injured twice in January during overnight visits with him.
“I don't have a crystal ball. I couldn't possibly have known any of this was going to happen,” Lack said last week.
Lack said he thought Serenity's injuries in January were from accidents.
His supervisor, Jennifer Shawn, was fired Thursday.
Lack was fired on grounds of unsatisfactory performance, misconduct, willful failure, dishonesty in reports and neglect of duty.
Lack of background check cited
In the termination papers, the agency specifically said Lack failed to fully check the father's background, often taking the father's word for things. Lack, for instance, once reported Brooks had no history of family violence. Brooks' ex-girlfriend actually had obtained a protective order against him after an angry confrontation in 2003.
The agency also said Lack never interviewed that ex-girlfriend, who had three children with Brooks. The ex-girlfriend later told police she considered Brooks too violent to be around his children.
The agency said Lack failed to notify the judge and the district attorney when Serenity needed medical treatment for black eyes and a swollen face the second time she was injured in January.
The agency said Lack failed to report to a judge that Serenity had reacted negatively to hearing her father's name while in foster care. Both of Serenity's foster mothers had reported this concern, according to the termination records.
Lack and Shawn have hired an attorney, Pete Serrata, to appeal their firings.
Serrata on Tuesday again criticized DHS, saying the agency did an incomplete and haphazard investigation into what happened in Serenity's case. Lack last week said he was personally invested in his cases.
“When you go home at night you still think about those kids,” he said then. “It's the first time in my life I've ever been fired. ... I've always done a good job in whatever capacity I've worked. Now, at this late stage in life, having to start all over again, it's a pretty scary thing.”
Source http://newsok.com/second-oklahoma-dhs-worker-fired-in-serenity-deal-case/article/3606070
CPS corruption hurts and destroys families worldwide. Please use caution posting about CPS here or anyplace on the internet. For your protection, using your full, real name and precise location is not advised. CPS has eyes everywhere and CPS is notorious for taking what people say, twisting it, embellishing on it and then using it against them in CPS "investigations" and at court proceedings.
Showing posts with label Serenity Deal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Serenity Deal. Show all posts
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Oklahoma DHS governing board refuses special meeting on Serenity Deal death
Serenity Deal, 5, died in Oklahoma City after being placed with father by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.
The governing board of the state's child-welfare agency has refused repeated requests to hold special meetings on the high-profile deaths of children in its care.
Steven Dow, of Tulsa, called for the special meetings. He is one of nine commissioners who oversee the state Department of Human Services.
He told The Oklahoman, “My calls for greater accountability and interest by the commission in even asking questions are met with a deafening silence. … I basically have gotten no response from most of the commissioners.”
Dow asked for special meetings after the 2010 death of Aja Johnson, 7, and the June death of Serenity Deal, 5.
He brought up five other children's deaths in one of his requests for a meeting about Serenity.
“Not once has the Commission discussed any of these horrific situations nor attempted to understand how our agency failed these children. Not once,” he wrote in an email to other commissioners.
“For a system to allow so many tragic deaths in such a short period of time is unconscionable. For us to not invite someone who has investigated the cases nor even ask our staff to explain what, from their perspective, happened is irresponsible and an utter dereliction of our duty to oversee the Department,” he wrote.
Dow said only one other commissioner, Anne Roberts, of Norman, agreed to a special meeting on Serenity.
Against a special meeting over Serenity was Commissioner Aneta Wilkinson, of Tulsa.
Wilkinson wrote in an email to Dow: “I firmly believe that DHS is handling this very unfortunate matter in the correct way. This terrible incident is not a system failure but involves the actions of individual people.
“Calling a special meeting at this time will only impede the investigation and disciplinary actions that are being implemented at this time. The proper role of the Commission is to determine policy. We are not and we should not be involved in personnel matters.”
Serenity died less than a month after she began living with her father full time in Oklahoma City at the recommendation of DHS workers.
The girl was placed with her father, Sean Devon Brooks, even though she was injured twice in January during overnight visits with him. DHS was involved because Serenity's mother had been accused of molesting a boy.
Brooks, who did not know he was the girl's father until she was 3, has been charged with first-degree murder.
DHS officials say child-welfare workers made mistakes in the girl's case. Four workers were put on administrative leave. One committed suicide. Another resigned. The other two are in the process of being fired.
Aja, 7, was killed in January 2010 by her stepfather, Lester Hobbs. Investigators said Hobbs killed the girl's mother in his motor home in Geronimo, left in her car with Aja, killed Aja and killed himself.
Aja was visiting her mother at the time of her death. Her father had temporary custody. DHS was criticized after her death because child-welfare workers earlier in her life had pushed for her to live with her mother and stepfather even though he was a felon and there were reports the stepfather abused her.
Source http://newsok.com/oklahoma-dhs-governing-board-refuses-special-meeting-on-serenity-deal-death/article/3602731?custom_click=pod_headline_crime
The governing board of the state's child-welfare agency has refused repeated requests to hold special meetings on the high-profile deaths of children in its care.
Steven Dow, of Tulsa, called for the special meetings. He is one of nine commissioners who oversee the state Department of Human Services.
He told The Oklahoman, “My calls for greater accountability and interest by the commission in even asking questions are met with a deafening silence. … I basically have gotten no response from most of the commissioners.”
Dow asked for special meetings after the 2010 death of Aja Johnson, 7, and the June death of Serenity Deal, 5.
He brought up five other children's deaths in one of his requests for a meeting about Serenity.
“Not once has the Commission discussed any of these horrific situations nor attempted to understand how our agency failed these children. Not once,” he wrote in an email to other commissioners.
“For a system to allow so many tragic deaths in such a short period of time is unconscionable. For us to not invite someone who has investigated the cases nor even ask our staff to explain what, from their perspective, happened is irresponsible and an utter dereliction of our duty to oversee the Department,” he wrote.
Dow said only one other commissioner, Anne Roberts, of Norman, agreed to a special meeting on Serenity.
Against a special meeting over Serenity was Commissioner Aneta Wilkinson, of Tulsa.
Wilkinson wrote in an email to Dow: “I firmly believe that DHS is handling this very unfortunate matter in the correct way. This terrible incident is not a system failure but involves the actions of individual people.
“Calling a special meeting at this time will only impede the investigation and disciplinary actions that are being implemented at this time. The proper role of the Commission is to determine policy. We are not and we should not be involved in personnel matters.”
Serenity died less than a month after she began living with her father full time in Oklahoma City at the recommendation of DHS workers.
The girl was placed with her father, Sean Devon Brooks, even though she was injured twice in January during overnight visits with him. DHS was involved because Serenity's mother had been accused of molesting a boy.
Brooks, who did not know he was the girl's father until she was 3, has been charged with first-degree murder.
DHS officials say child-welfare workers made mistakes in the girl's case. Four workers were put on administrative leave. One committed suicide. Another resigned. The other two are in the process of being fired.
Aja, 7, was killed in January 2010 by her stepfather, Lester Hobbs. Investigators said Hobbs killed the girl's mother in his motor home in Geronimo, left in her car with Aja, killed Aja and killed himself.
Aja was visiting her mother at the time of her death. Her father had temporary custody. DHS was criticized after her death because child-welfare workers earlier in her life had pushed for her to live with her mother and stepfather even though he was a felon and there were reports the stepfather abused her.
Source http://newsok.com/oklahoma-dhs-governing-board-refuses-special-meeting-on-serenity-deal-death/article/3602731?custom_click=pod_headline_crime
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
DHS Releases Info On Serenity Deal's Child Abuse Death
Tina McGarry Reporting
KFOR-TV
6:17 p.m. CDT, August 10, 2011
OKLAHOMA CITY -- A 5-year-old girl is dead and her father is in jail charged with the killing. Serenity Deal was in the state's custody, but living with her father on a trial basis when she was beaten to death.
Sean Brooks sits in jail charged with first-degree murder.
He has pleaded "not guilty."
Oklahoma House Speaker Kris Steele (R- Shawnee), says the Oklahoma Department of Human Services failed the little girl by leaving her in a risky environment.
DHS also admits procedures were not followed.
In a report released by DHS Wednesday, we learned DHS was called in to investigate on four different occasions, dating back to June 2009.
The first two investigations centered around Serenity's mom, Samantha Deal, who went to prison last month after being convicted of lewd or indecent acts with a child.
Investigations three and four charged Serenity's father, Sean Brooks, with child abuse.
After months of investigating, DHS found the charges unsubstantiated; a move now being questioned.
"But there's also a checks and balances to our system," DHS spokeswoman Sheree Powell said. "There's the court procedures, there's the child's attorney involved, a D.A. and a judge. Were they given complete and accurate information? Did they ask the appropriate questions that should've been asked in court? That's the checks and balanaces to our system."
Checks and balances that failed a little girl.
May 11, 2011, three weeks before her death, Serenity was placed with her father in a trial reunification.
"Our agency takes any threat of harm to children seriously," Powell said. "We have policies, training and procedures in place to keep children safe. Those were not followed and employees will be held accountable for not following policy."
Following Serenity's death in June, DHS suspended with pay four case workers.
Weeks later, one committed suicide.
After that another resigned.
Two remain on paid suspesion.
Sean Brooks is scheduled to go to court in October for a preliminary hearing.
Source: http://www.kfor.com/news/local/kfor-dhs-releases-report-child-abuse-death-20110810,0,1439465.story
KFOR-TV
6:17 p.m. CDT, August 10, 2011
OKLAHOMA CITY -- A 5-year-old girl is dead and her father is in jail charged with the killing. Serenity Deal was in the state's custody, but living with her father on a trial basis when she was beaten to death.
Sean Brooks sits in jail charged with first-degree murder.
He has pleaded "not guilty."
Oklahoma House Speaker Kris Steele (R- Shawnee), says the Oklahoma Department of Human Services failed the little girl by leaving her in a risky environment.
DHS also admits procedures were not followed.
In a report released by DHS Wednesday, we learned DHS was called in to investigate on four different occasions, dating back to June 2009.
The first two investigations centered around Serenity's mom, Samantha Deal, who went to prison last month after being convicted of lewd or indecent acts with a child.
Investigations three and four charged Serenity's father, Sean Brooks, with child abuse.
After months of investigating, DHS found the charges unsubstantiated; a move now being questioned.
"But there's also a checks and balances to our system," DHS spokeswoman Sheree Powell said. "There's the court procedures, there's the child's attorney involved, a D.A. and a judge. Were they given complete and accurate information? Did they ask the appropriate questions that should've been asked in court? That's the checks and balanaces to our system."
Checks and balances that failed a little girl.
May 11, 2011, three weeks before her death, Serenity was placed with her father in a trial reunification.
"Our agency takes any threat of harm to children seriously," Powell said. "We have policies, training and procedures in place to keep children safe. Those were not followed and employees will be held accountable for not following policy."
Following Serenity's death in June, DHS suspended with pay four case workers.
Weeks later, one committed suicide.
After that another resigned.
Two remain on paid suspesion.
Sean Brooks is scheduled to go to court in October for a preliminary hearing.
Source: http://www.kfor.com/news/local/kfor-dhs-releases-report-child-abuse-death-20110810,0,1439465.story
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