DHS Shakeup Overdue
Another Oklahoma child has died under Department of Human Services supervision. The latest victim is three-year-old William Barnard. Young William, who had Down syndrome, drowned in the bathtub within five days of being returned to a home from which he had been removed by Oklahoma City Police and DHS.
As usual DHS administrators, attorneys and social workers are hiding behind a cloak of secrecy, refusing to explain anything regarding why a child removed from deplorable conditions was returned to the home to die in less than five days.
William Barnard is but the latest in a long line of dead children whose deaths and DHS actions leading up to those deaths are treated as “state secrets”.
The Oklahoma DHS appears an agency more concerned with covering its own butt than it is with protecting the children of Oklahoma. And that needs to change and to change fast.
If the Oklahoma Legislature lacks the courage and wisdom to shake up the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, opening its records associated with child deaths to public review, then it is time the voters of Oklahoma do it for them via an initiative petition drive and vote of the people.
For far too long the Oklahoma DHS has been able to hide behind state law which prevents the public from knowing anything about what DHS does regarding at risk children. It is way past time that DHS conducted it business in the bright light of public scrutiny, rather than hiding in the shadows while more Oklahoma children die under DHS supervision.
Judge Richard Kirby is listed on the OK DHS website as a hero! Doesn’t anyone get it? You are saying here that OK DHS is a corrupt and inept administration … a statement with which many would agree. Why not do an actual STORY on Judge Richard Kirby. There is a long comment history on Judge Richard Kirby under the Masturbating Judge. That comment history states how Judge Richard Kirby wrongly jailed two inoccent people on a child case. The appeal court held that Judge Richard Kirby had violated the const**ution. Still, there is no action or consequence for the actions of Judge Richard Kirby. WHY? If OK DHS is as bad as you say and is not held accountable by judges and lawyers and, as you suggest, engages in cover ups a**isted by the silence of judges and lawyers then why not do a headline story on Judge Richard Kirby who is, according to the OK DHS web page, there hero? Perhaps shedding some light on the unconsitutional conduct of Judge Richard Kirby will help to avoid people being mistreated in the future? Perhaps it will ensure that Judge Richard Kirby holds DHS accountable in his court?
There has been much talk of some supposed study done regarding OKDHS and the Juvi court system. Allegedly, the study is credible and has been hidden under the “cloak of secrecy” discussed above. One person said that the Oklahoman did a story on it, but I couldn’t find that story. If that is true, and there is a valid study critical of what is going on at OKDHS and the Juvi court, why hasn’t this been investigated? Judge Richard Kirby is the senior Judge at Juvi court, shouldn’t he be held accountable for the judicial portion of that study? Why is no one looking into this? Is it because lawyers are afraid of his wrath if they do anything on which he may frown? Judge Richard Kirby has several other judges that work for him. Why are they not brining any problems to light? The public record shows that Judge Steven Alcorn was overturned on a writ for refusing to allow people with standing the right to speak in court. Is this typical of the decisions being made regarding our citizens’ access to the juvi court? Again, why is no one looking into this matter and holding people like Judge Richard Kirby and Judge Steven Alcorn accountable????