Health News
Gov. Steve Beshear ordered the release of "state records of children who have been killed or nearly killed as a result of abuse and neglect," reports Beth Musgrave of the Lexington Herald-Leader. (Photo by H-L's Pablo Alcala)
- Beshear To Have Outside Panel Review Cases Of Children Killed Or Life-threatened By Abuse
An independent panel of experts will review cases of children who have been killed or severely hurt by child abuse or neglect, Gov. Steve Beshear announced Monday. The panel will have 17 members and be based in the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet....
- Judge Orders Cabinet For Health And Family Services To Speed Up Its Release Of Child-abuse Records
The state Cabinet for Health and Family Services has been given 90 days to release thousands of pages pertaining to about 180 cases of children who died or were badly injured from abuse or neglect. The order was issued Thursday by Franklin Circuit...
- Judge Rails Against State's Handling Of Child-abuse Records, Beshear's Defense Of Cabinet
The judge who handled the case of 9-year-old Amy Dye, who was beaten to death last year by her adoptive brother, sent an op-ed piece to several newspapers criticizing Gov. Steve Beshear's move to back the Cabinet for Health and Family Services in...
- Head Of State Social Services Steps Down Amid Controversy
In the wake of controversy about how her state agency handled child-abuse investigations, Kentucky's commissioner of social services has stepped down. No other details were confirmed about the resignation of Patricia Wilson, who was a career social-services...
- Remember? State Opened Its Child-abuse Records In 1990s
Though it made big, breaking news last week, releasing state records about severe child abuse isn't new in Kentucky, writes Joseph Gerth, right, in a column in The Courier-Journal. "During Gov. Brereton Jones' term in office from 1991-1995, the...
Health News
Beshear says hand over child abuse records; cabinet immediately files for more time
Gov. Steve Beshear ordered the release of "state records of children who have been killed or nearly killed as a result of abuse and neglect," reports Beth Musgrave of the Lexington Herald-Leader. (Photo by H-L's Pablo Alcala)"Transparency will be the new rule," he said at a news conference Tuesday.
But, immediately after he spoke, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services filed a motion in Franklin Circuit Court asking for more time. "It also asked Judge Phillip Shepherd to sharply limit the information the cabinet must release and allow it to remove a significant amount of detail ? restrictions that seem to contradict the governor's pledge of openness," reports Deborah Yetter of The Courier-Journal.
The two newspapers have been suing the cabinet to see the records, and Shepherd has twice ruled that the newspapers should be able to view them. "State law says that the child protection records are private with one clear exemption ? in the deaths or near-deaths of children who have died as a result of abuse or neglect," Musgrave reports.
The cabinet argued releasing the documents would run counter to federal privacy laws and could lead to a loss in federal funding.
Attorney Jon Fleischaker, who represents the C-J, was not impressed by the governor's move. "It's a sham, in my judgment," he said.
In 2009, both newspapers sued the cabinet after being denied access to documents pertaining to Kayden Branham, a toddler who died after drinking drain cleaner that was reportedly to be used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.
The Todd County Standard likewise sued the cabinet when it refused to turn over documents pertaining to Amy Dye, a 9-year-old who was beaten to death by her adoptive brother. "This crime has drawn a lot of attention, has left this community dazed, confused and angry and searching for answers as to why this could have happened and why this happened," said Todd Circuit Court Judge Tyler Gill.
The motion filed by the cabinet Tuesday would exclude details of Amy's case, such as the circumstances of her adoption, the names of her siblings, information about foster care, and the termination of parents' rights and juvenile court records, "all of which were elements of Amy's case," Yetter reports.
Records that Shepherd ordered be released Nov. 7 showed evidence that state social service workers either ignored or dismissed repeated complaints by school officials that Amy was the victim of abuse. "The cabinet had initially denied it had any records, then refused to disclose them, citing confidentiality," Yetter reports.
At the news conference Tuesday, Beshear said he planned to propose legislation in 2012 to make it more clear as to what information the cabinet is subject to releasing.
To read more in The Courier-Journal, click here.
To read more in the Herald-Leader, click here.
- Beshear To Have Outside Panel Review Cases Of Children Killed Or Life-threatened By Abuse
An independent panel of experts will review cases of children who have been killed or severely hurt by child abuse or neglect, Gov. Steve Beshear announced Monday. The panel will have 17 members and be based in the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet....
- Judge Orders Cabinet For Health And Family Services To Speed Up Its Release Of Child-abuse Records
The state Cabinet for Health and Family Services has been given 90 days to release thousands of pages pertaining to about 180 cases of children who died or were badly injured from abuse or neglect. The order was issued Thursday by Franklin Circuit...
- Judge Rails Against State's Handling Of Child-abuse Records, Beshear's Defense Of Cabinet
The judge who handled the case of 9-year-old Amy Dye, who was beaten to death last year by her adoptive brother, sent an op-ed piece to several newspapers criticizing Gov. Steve Beshear's move to back the Cabinet for Health and Family Services in...
- Head Of State Social Services Steps Down Amid Controversy
In the wake of controversy about how her state agency handled child-abuse investigations, Kentucky's commissioner of social services has stepped down. No other details were confirmed about the resignation of Patricia Wilson, who was a career social-services...
- Remember? State Opened Its Child-abuse Records In 1990s
Though it made big, breaking news last week, releasing state records about severe child abuse isn't new in Kentucky, writes Joseph Gerth, right, in a column in The Courier-Journal. "During Gov. Brereton Jones' term in office from 1991-1995, the...