Ex-Youth Aide in Tennessee says false claims of abuse ruined his life.
Unfortunately this is not an isolated occurance, nor is Tennessee the only state engaging in this practice.
County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania. Facilities are experiencing staff hesitancy in confronting inappropriate behaviors as staff report fear of retaliation from licensing representatives should the confrontation result in aggressive behavior by the resident and a subsequent restraint should occur. Accused PA Department of Public Welfare with filing unsubstantiated charges against staff that were ultimately dismissed. This situation has resulted in resident youth willing to push limits further and thus increase the potential of harm to other residents and staff. Bargaining unit representatives have encouraged staff to pursue criminal charges on youth who become assaultive.
D.C. and Maryland have also been accused of retaliatory conduct towards employees including unsubstantiated abuse and neglect charges.
NE. Currently a child care worker has filed an action against Nebraska for a wrongful abuse accusation.
NY. OCFS employees have charged that OCFS is improperly using its protective and child enforcement arm to falsely accuse and retaliate against employees.
TN. In 2002 a youth aide was accused of sexual abuse by three female juveniles. Dockery insisted the allegations were false, but he was ultimately indicted on 14 counts of sexual battery, official oppression and official misconduct. Before the case went through the legal process, Dockery was fired. But when the case did go to trial. Judge Steve Dozier dismissed all the charges and expunged them from Dockery’s record.
Arrest still shows up. Despite having his name cleared, Dockery said the last eight years have been hell. He has been unable to find a job working with children, as he had done for 10 years, because he said the arrest still shows up on background checks.
Without regular pay, Dockery has bounced around living with friends and family and even spending almost an entire year living out of his car. His precarious situation has prevented him from being able to see his children, who live with their mother in Chicago.
“They took away my life, my entire life,” said Dockery, who has recently asked the Department of Justice to look at his case.
Tags: false abuse charges, false indictment, juvenile justice, youth aide