A long awaited report looking into Rockbridge Area Department of Social Services was unsealed this month. In it, the Special Grand Jury concluded there wasn’t enough evidence to bring charges.
“Gross negligence" "highly disturbing" "rank incompetence.”
Those are but three choice phrases that jump out from the Special Grand Jury’s 25 page report.
It blasts the department and the entire state Social Services system for having no clear chain of command, all but guaranteeing some local agencies, like the one in Rockbridge, will go rogue.
It accused a supervisor of disregarding, even shredding, reports of child abuse. In one instance, an infant died in an unsafe home following agency inaction.
Despite this, grand jury members were not able to find probable cause to bring a criminal indictment. And that doesn’t sit well with child welfare activist Susan Lawrence. She adopted a son after he had endured years of abusive foster care as a result of the department’s systemic malfunction.
“The people who are the government officials need to be more involved," says Lawrence. "Children are dying. Children are being sexually assaulted and I can assure you it’s continuing to happen.”
New Rockbridge DSS Director Suzanne Adcock did not return calls for comment.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from theVirginia Education Association.
