I was reading a story in the Omaha World-Herald last week regarding the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center in Kearney, which has been the source for a number of child sexual assaults involving staff members that have happened recently.
Four former YRTC employees have been arrested and charged with a range of sexual abuse-related crimes of protected individuals, and one has been sentenced to jail time. An administrator was fired by Nebraska Health and Human Services earlier this year when the abuse allegations emerged a year ago.
As I was reading the story, which HHS officials say there is not a cultural problem with the people they have hired, I was reminded of the scene in the comedy classic “Animal House” where Kevin Bacon, playing a security officer, is trying to convince people everything is fine as a riot breaks out in front of him and people are running for their lives behind him.
“Remain calm,” he assures everyone, “all is well.”
What do Nebraska Health and Human Services leadership take us for — idiots?
A facility such as the one in Kearney serves a specific purpose — dealing with troubled youth. These kids are brought to the facility, usually through the legal system, because they have real trouble in their lives.
Some of them are violent. Some are homeless. Some have issues with drugs or alcohol. And some are survivors of sexual assault or some other kind of attack.
These are kids who have real issues and need the kind of discipline and guidance that has been absent in their lives. For some, a facility such as this is a last chance before adulthood sets in and their problems lead them to prison — or worse.
When a child is taken to a place such as the YRTC in Kearney, it is expected that they will be safe and taken care of as they work through their problems. The staff, it is assumed, would make sure that the kids who stay there are safe from all of the ugly that has been a part of their youth.
So when one of these “adults” decides their own carnal desires are more important than a troubled child’s well-being and engages in this unlawful conduct, you’re damn right to assume it’s a problem And it most certainly is a “cultural issue” when one scumbag is allowed to harm a child in such a manner.
But the bean counters at HHS don’t seem to think there’s an issue here.
A 118-page report, submitted by the Office of Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare, showed areas of improvement, including that HHS officials take over abuse and neglect investigations, increase staff supervision, programming and structured activities for youth, as well as surveillance and monitoring capabilities.
HHS, in an utterly mind-bending response, claims the “cultural problem” at the Kearney facility was “unfounded.”
Four staff members arrested — and one sentenced — on sexual abuse charges and there’s NO cultural problem at your facility?
All it takes is one bad apple to have a cultural problem. If EVERYBODY isn’t pulling in the same direction, you are going to have issues. For HHS officials to claim there isn’t a problem at the Kearney-based center is absolutely preposterous, if not criminal.
HHS officials are dragging their feet and trying to deflect responsibility for what is going on at one of their facilities. They claim they are “exploring possibilities” on putting those who are accused of such misconduct on some kind of registry — which would be like me “exploring possibilities” on becoming 20 years and 50 pounds younger.
The Nebraska State Patrol is already investigating these incidents, but it seems apparent that it needs to extend its investigation into the HHS office itself. If criminal activity such as this is being allowed to take place, especially in a facility where youth are being taken care of, you most certainly have a “cultural problem.”
No matter how many times you try to tell us otherwise.
