Seven more City of Philadelphia employees suspended in neglect case that ended in death of teen with cerebral palsy.
In announcing the discipline at a news conference Monday, Mayor Michael Nutter choked up while noting his own daughter is just a year younger than Danieal was when she died.
“I am fully, thoroughly and completely pissed off,” the normally reserved Nutter said angrily. If any city employee neglected his child the way Danieal was, he added, “I would kick their ass myself.”
An ass kicking seems kind of after the fact. The kid is already dead and buried.
“The fact that so many workers failed Danieal, however, speaks to a larger problem than some profoundly negligent DHS employees: it reveals an agency that is broken,” the report said.
One of the now-suspended employees was even promoted to head the agency committee that reviews child fatalities.
“We’re establishing a new culture of accountability,” said Nutter, who was out of the state when the 258-page grand jury report was released last week. “There’s not a shadow of doubt in my mind that this department will turn around.”
A culture of accountability huh? Let’s see where that promise goes. More dead welfare cases is my guess. Government can’t solve apathy because government creates apathy.
Nine people have been charged in Danieal’s death, including her parents, three family friends, two private employees and two city social workers. The city employees, who face charges of child endangerment, were suspended last week and face disciplinary hearings this week that may result in their dismissals.
Culture is the problem. That’s for sure. But the culture is a culture of big government. It’s a culture where personal responsibility is not taught and we’re not willing to talk about that fact.