Admissions Resumed at Children's Shelter
Thursday, July 13, 2000
BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER
cmarbin@herald.com
The Department of Juvenile Justice is again sending children to
the Lippman Family Center, despite the agency's ongoing
investigation into the near-death of a 15-year-old boy ordered to
stay at the Oakland Park shelter.
In a July 11 letter, juvenile justice manager Perry L. Anderson
Jr. informed shelter operator Lutheran Services Florida that a June
23 moratorium on admissions to the 28-bed shelter had been lifted,
``and new placements may resume effective immediately.''
``Your responsiveness to the investigating agencies since the
tragic incident last month has been forthcoming and appreciated,''
Anderson wrote.
Joy Margolis, a spokeswoman for Tampa-based Lutheran Services,
said the move shows juvenile justice authorities are still confident
in the agency and its operation of the shelter.
``Obviously, we have been trying for some time, and are still
doing everything we can, to help kids on a daily basis,'' she said.
But an attorney for the family of 15-year-old Anthony Dumas said
the juvenile justice agency's actions are a slap in the face for the
boy's parents.
``That's unbelievable,'' said Fort Lauderdale attorney David
Fuchs, when told officials had resumed admissions to Lippman. ``I'm
astounded.''
The juvenile justice department is investigating the facility,
along with the Broward state attorney's office and the Broward
Sheriff's Office.
``When a potential criminal investigation is going on, plus a
civil investigation -- and the state of Florida's Department of
Juvenile Justice is saying it's OK to house and rehabilitate
children at the Lippman Family Center, I think that's surprising and
shocking,'' Fuchs said.
Juvenile justice officials said they had no reason to continue
the moratorium. Their ``initial review'' of the June 12 incident, in
which three staff members failed to cut Dumas from his belt,
determined there were no ``systemic, administrative or
programmatic'' concerns at the shelter. Dumas remains in a coma at
Broward General Hospital.
The three workers on duty June 12 were suspended by Lutheran
Services, and, according to Anderson's July 11 letter, the three may
not return to ``direct care'' duties without prior approval.
``To continue a moratorium on admissions would continue to
deprive Broward County of services that are very much needed,'' said
Rex Uberman, deputy secretary for operations. ``We could very easily
have kept [admissions] closed until all investigations were
completed . . . but at what cost to the children of Broward County
?''
Leaders of the federally funded Advocacy Center for Persons with
Disabilities also were disturbed Wednesday to hear the juvenile
justice department had resumed admissions to the shelter. For the
second time in two weeks, an Advocacy Center investigator was turned
away Wednesday when she asked to review records at the shelter.
``I find that outrageous,'' said Patty Cooper, who heads the
Advocacy Center's Hollywood office. ``There are a number of ongoing
investigations, including one by our agency,'' Cooper said. ``And we
haven't even been able to get access yet.''
Gary Blumenthal, who heads the Advocacy Center, was particularly
disturbed his investigator, Ann Marie Cintron-Siegel, was not
allowed to review Lippman records. On Tuesday, juvenile justice
assistant general counsel Alan R. Dakan assured the agency it was
entitled by federal law to inspect the Oakland Park program.
``We agree that the Advocacy Center . . . has the authority under
federal law to enter into programs operated by or under contract
with the Department of Juvenile Justice,'' Dakan wrote. ``We further
agree that federal law gives the Advocacy Center the right to make
their inspections unaccompanied by any other persons, and to review
any files.''
Margolis of Lutheran Services said shelter operators were told by
their Tampa attorney to deny advocates access to children's files.
The records are confidential, Margolis said.
``They were there for an hour, and took a tour,'' Margolis said.
``But we were simply following the advice of our attorney not to
turn anything over without his reviewing it.''
Copyright 2000 Miami Herald
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