>>10460923
'Professional kidnapper' T-shirt stunt drains 22 years of experience from Prescott child welfare office
Mary Jo Pitzl | Arizona Republic
In one day, the Arizona Department of Child Safety lost a combined 22 years of experience from its Prescott office after eight staffers were fired for posing in T-shirts that read "professional kidnapper."
Limited personnel records released by the agency in response to a public-records request show the eight received identical letters from DCS Director Mike Faust on June 19, informing them their services are no longer needed and directing them to return state property immediately.
The letter did not address the reason for the dismissals. However, last month, one of the fired investigators told The Arizona Republic the T-shirts were the reason. She said the bright pink tees were made as an "inside joke" to release stress from their jobs.
A photo shared with The Republic shows the eight workers standing shoulder to shoulder in a line in the parking lot of the DCS office in Prescott. Some have their backs turned, to display the writing on the back of the shirt: "Do you know where your children are?"
DCS workers apparently fired over 'professional kidnapper' T-shirts
Word of the T-shirt and its provocative message spread quickly in child-welfare circles in Prescott. After The Republic published a story about it, the incident made national news and was picked up a British tabloid.
Child-welfare advocates lamented the message, saying it cut against the agency's mission to keep families together safely; critics said it reinforced their belief that the agency is biased against families.
DCS did not release the former staffers' full personnel records; instead, it shared the dismissal letters and provided a list of the employees' hire dates and pay schedules.
As exempt employees, state personnel law bars the staffers from contesting their firings.
Employee's record shows disciplinary actions
The limited record release showed that one of the former investigators, Kim White, had been fired from state service a decade ago, but was hired years later by DCS. She was disciplined for unauthorized actions involving one child-welfare case, but stayed on staff until two months ago.
ln October 2009, White lost her job as a child-support enforcement staffer at the state Department of Economic Security, records show. She was fired for sharing information about child-support cases involving her sister, as well as one of White's friends, in violation of the agency's conflict of interest and confidentiality standards.
A month earlier, DES had put White on administrative leave with pay while an investigation was underway. It was unclear from the disciplinary letter what the subject of the investigation was.
In 2014, DCS hired her as a case aide.
Three years later, after being promoted to case investigator, DCS suspended White for one week in September 2017 after she failed to follow directions to either remove a child from a home or put in place a "present danger" plan to ensure the child's safety.
Two days later, she was reprimanded for keeping in contact with a former client, although she had been removed from that client's case. Her disciplinary record shows she texted the client, giving advice on how to request a court hearing, sharing personal information about a DCS co-worker and giving the client White's personal email.
"These emails were disclosed during a court hearing and could have affected the outcome of the hearing, as well as brought embarrassment to the agency," Scott Chasan, the deputy program administrator for DCS' northern region wrote in the letter.
Along with White, DCS fired seven others classified as "DCS specialists" in the investigative unit. They are Kelly Breneman, Rashell Campbell, Laura Lacey, Ashley Loree, Rochelle Rice, Ashley Slaughter and Denise Wolcott. Their tenure ranged from six years for one staffer to less than a year for two recent hires.
Six of the investigators reported to unit supervisor Julie Bloss; two reported to supervisor Bobette Carpenter.
DCS did not immediately respond to an inquiry if the supervisors faced any discipline for the actions of their staffers.
About this report
An ongoing grant from the Arizona Community Foundation funds reporting on child-welfare issues, from efforts to keep kids safe to legal proceedings. To keep up on the latest news, subscribe to The Arizona Republic.
Reach the reporter at maryjo.pitzl@arizonarepublic.com and follow her on Twitter @maryjpitzl
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-child-welfare/2020/08/08/eight-arizona-dcs-staffers-fired-professional-kidnapper-t-shirt-pic/3320014001/