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Aug 4, 2008 11:35 pm US/Eastern
Mayor Nutter Issues Harsh Words To DHS Workers
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
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Danieal Kelly, a 14-year-old with cerebral palsy, died a harrowing death at 42 pounds after weeks of neglect.
CBS
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter issued harsh words to members of the Department of Human Services following the horrific death of a disabled teen under their watch.
In a rare moment, Mayor Nutter expressed his outrage while announcing the suspension of seven more Philadelphia DHS workers after a grand jury report was issued in the death of 14-year-old Danieal Kelly.
"I am fully, thoroughly and completely pissed off about what has happened here. Behaviors exhibited by public employees is unacceptable," he said.
Kelly, who suffered from cerebral palsy, was found starved to death in a sweltering, filthy West Philadelphia home exactly two years ago.
The workers suspended Monday, which include two agency directors, have not been charged with any crime, but the report did conclude that any one of them "would have prevented Danieal's appalling death by merely doing their jobs as spelled out in the policy manual."
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.
The 248-page grand jury report issued last week detailed the tortuous final days of the teen, who weighed a paltry 42-pounds at the time of her death. The teen's mother, 39-year-old Andrea Kelly, is facing charges of murder in connection with the horrific incident. (
read more).
Nutter expressed his outrage not only as a Mayor, but as a father.
"When I think of my own daughter; if she were in someone else's care and they performed the way some of these individuals did, I would kick their ass myself," he said.
During Monday's announcement, the Mayor held a moment of silence for the young victim, vowing such a tragedy will never occur again.
"No child in Philadelphia should ever again face the same fate as Danieal Kelly," he said. "It is appalling, it is outrageous and I am heartbroken by what has happened here."
But he stressed that the report paints a picture of the agency in 2006, not since he became mayor this year.
"We're establishing a new culture of accountability," he said. "There's not a shadow of doubt in my mind that this department will turn around."
He cited some policy changes the agency has recently implemented, although the report made a point of saying the department's procedures seemed sufficient: "The problem wasn't the rulebook; it was the players," it said.
Nutter noted that the "overwhelming majority" of agency workers do their jobs well. He plans to meet with them Tuesday.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
