Child Advocate Denied Access to Shelter for
Troubled Youths
Friday, July 7, 2000
Sun Sentinel Section: LOCAL Page: 6B
By SHANNON OBOYE Staff Writer
An independent watchdog group has become the fifth agency to
launch an investigation into the attempted suicide of a 15-year-old
boy last month at a shelter for troubled youths.
But, so far, the Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities
has not been allowed access to the Lippman Family Center in Oakland
Park, where the incident occurred.
A child advocate, Ann Marie Cintron-Siegel, went to the shelter
for runaways and other hard-to-handle youths on Friday and was
turned away.
She said she later spoke by phone with Tom Bambrick, of Lutheran
Services Florida, which operates the shelter, and was told that she
would not be allowed in.
The Advocacy Center's attorney, Peter Nimcoff, said he sent a
letter late Thursday afternoon outlining the group's position. He
said the group was federally funded and had the authority to enter
and inspect facilities that shelter children with disabilities.
In addition to the Advocacy Center, the Broward State Attorney's
Office, the Broward Sheriff's Office, the Department of Juvenile
Justice and Lutheran Services Florida are investigating the
incident.
Child advocates go "anywhere where there are allegations of
abuse, neglect or even death," Cintron-Siegel said.
"That's why I was going out to the Lippman Center."
On June 12, Anthony Dumas hanged himself by a belt from a bunk
bed at the center. Workers saw him hanging but did not let him down,
police said. Instead, one of them took several Polaroids of the boy
while waiting for authorities to arrive.
Anthony survived the attempt, but is still in a coma at Broward
General Medical Center.
He was referred to the shelter by a judge on May 23 following a
domestic violence incident with his mother.
Shannon O'Boye can be reached at
soboye@sun-sentinel.com
or 954-356-4597
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