CAMDEN COUNTY, Ga. — Six Camden County families joined their attorney, Kevin Gough, Monday in front of the Juvenile Justice Court Building in Woodbine to speak out against the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS).
The families who had their children removed from their custody, spelled out a list of concerns. Among those who spoke was Corey Sullivan. He is facing child abuse charges after he and his wife, Diana, took their baby to the hospital for a swollen leg last October. Tests revealed she had multiple fractures. The Sullivans adamantly deny she was abused. They believe there’s a medical explanation for her fractures and are fighting in court to regain custody of their three children.
“My biggest complaint is that we have so much medical proof in our favor from the time that she was pregnant with our daughter to now and they don't want to hear it,” Sullivan said. “You know, they have an agenda. And it seems like every time we present something they have three or four other medical experts that want to come and combat it.”
The Sullivans say they have spent upwards of $80,000 in their legal battle as they seek to get their children back.
The Georgia State Director of the nonprofit, You Are the Power, that helps families it says have been impacted by government overreach was also at the press conference. The group has been working to raise awareness about the Sullivans' case.
“Right now the state is pursuing the termination of parental rights. And so at this point, both juvenile court and DFCS have given no indication that they intend to backpedal to stop and say, hey, look, we've made a mistake. They've actually dug their heels in. At this point, the next hearing that Corey and Diana are going to take could potentially be the termination of parental rights," Ryan Ralston, Georgia state director of You Are the Power said. “Camden County has one of the lowest reunification rates in the state of Georgia. They hover around 10 to 11%, where the national average is about almost 50%."
Gough and Sullivan spoke about a DFCS case worker we are not naming because he has not been charged. They say he has had questionable interactions with children under his supervision.
“Parents, caregivers and others have reported that he kisses children, children in DFCS care, custody and control on the head, face and possibly the lips. He hugs children inappropriately. He has them sit in his lap. One female child actually placed her head in his lap and DFCS is aware of video documentation of many of these incidents,” Gough said.
And Gough also shared about the recent arrest of a DFCS employee not connected to the Sullivans case. According to a St. Marys Police Department report, Donnelle Hill was arrested in April. The Camden County Sheriff’s Office shows he was charged with aggravated sodomy. The police report says a mother Hill met with told police he propositioned her to perform oral sex on him as she walked him to his car immediately after he reassured her that she did not have to worry about losing her kids. She told police she felt she had to comply to protect her children from being taken away from her. Hill has since bonded out of jail. Our efforts to reach him were unsuccessful.
We visited the Camden County DFCS office but were told to contact a spokesperson in Atlanta, who sent us a statement.
“The Department of Human Services, through its Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS), is responsible for safeguarding vulnerable children and families. While we cannot discuss claims of specific allegations against staff members, we do take any allegations received very seriously and ensure that all of our protocols are followed as it relates to corrective action, reprimand, and termination, where necessary,” a DHS Spokesperson wrote.
Personnel concerns related to suspected abuse or other issues can be reported to the Office of Inspector General hotline at (844) 694-2347 or via email at inspectorgeneralhotline@dhs.ga.gov.