Florida never ceases to amaze me. I had been hoping that improvements had been made at DCF here under Bob Butterworth's term. Maybe in some areas, maybe. With all the privatization going on it may take a while to really know.
But how in the world did such intolerance seep into the highest levels of this department...a department dedicated to helping children and families of all races.
From the Tallahassee Democrat:
Investigation reveals racist remarks at Florida Department of Children and FamiliesThere are some offensive terms used in the article.
An internal investigation at the Department of Children and Families has turned up startling reports of racist remarks being casually tossed around by some managers at the agency's huge computer complex in Tallahassee. DCF Secretary George Sheldon is assigning an agency personnel representative to Northwood Centre to handle any employee complaints about a hostile work environment. Aside from a genuine desire to do right, his response has all the appearances of an employer scrambling to stave off liability lawsuits for race discrimination.
..."This review has revealed that harassing conduct does exist at Information Systems, located at the Northwood Centre," says a memo that Pamela Thornton, a DCF civil-rights officer, sent to Carolyn Dudley, the department's assistant staff director for civil rights. "This conduct includes racial slurs, derogatory remarks about particular ethnic groups and comments about cultural habits, which have created an intimidating, hostile and offensive work environment, specifically brought on by managers and supervisors."
It started in June, when employee Barbara Murray complained to the DCF civil-rights office that her supervisor had told her another manager had used what's commonly referred to as "the N-word," along with some variants of that term, at a management meeting.
"She further stated, during the initial complaint and/or subsequent interview, that the terms 'Sand N - - - - -,' 'Chinese Mafia,' 'My Bald Bulgarian' and other comments are used to reference employees in the workplace," said Thornton's memo. It said Murray "described what she feels is a pattern of on-going racial slurs or derogatory comments being made in the workplace by managers and supervisors."
The report said Murray had complained that she was told by her supervisor, Jeffry Wood, that Charlie Mattuski, a participant in a managers' meeting, had used the N-word and was asked by a supervisor "if he had attended civil-rights training. Mattuski responded by stating, 'Would it be better if I had said Niggetts?' Complainant stated that everyone in the office is talking about the comments; however no one will report it for fear of losing their jobs."
Florida's DCF has had a lot to overcome, much of it caused by lack of oversight...a hallmark of the Bush family, both Jeb and George. One of the directors was found to be
producing child pornography.TAMPA, Fla. — A Department of Children & Families press secretary who was arrested on suspicion of enlisting children to make pornography could face more charges, police said Saturday. Al Zimmerman, 40, was released from a Tampa jail after posting $120,000 bail Saturday afternoon, a day after his arrest on eight felony charges of using a child in a sexual performance.
Zimmerman worked for DCF — the state agency charged with protecting Florida's children — for about two years. He was fired Friday after top officials learned of accusations against him. According to an arrest report, Zimmerman offered two teens money in exchange for photographing them in sexual acts. The victims were ages 16 and 17 at the time of the crime, and at least one may have been in the care of DCF at one point, according to the report.
Authorities believe some of the images date back to December 2005, the arrest report showed. Zimmerman is suspected of taking photos as recently as Friday, the report showed.
DCF has failed oversight in other areas, such as the care of the elderly. One of the most shocking instances was when
18 boarding house residents were found in windowless rooms with no air conditioning.Deputies had visited the state licensed home 44 times and found nothing wrong.
TAMPA | Eighteen residents of a state-licensed boarding home have been removed after authorities found them in an overcrowded residence without air conditioning as temperatures soared outside.
Authorities said the residents had been without air conditioning for up to two days in windowless rooms furnished with bunk beds while the heat index outside reached 104 degrees. One 86-year-old woman, found unresponsive on the floor, was taken to a hospital.
The Department of Children & Families took 16 of the residents to Bay Gardens Retirement Village near the University of South Florida, said Nancy Ortiz, a nurse who helped care for them when they arrived Thursday evening.
A sister picked up one resident, and the 86-year-old remained at the hospital, where she was responsive. Investigators arrested Daphne Jones, 36, charging her with 18 counts of neglect of the elderly or disabled, jail records showed. Jones posted $135,000 bail Friday and was released from jail.
I guess it will take Florida years to get back to what it was before Jeb. The Republicans will be the majority for years to come because of gerrymandering, and Charlie Crist does not seem inclined to cross them.
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