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Lawmakers urge investigation into alleged misconduct at Oregon Youth Authority; committee notes ongoing investigations
Summary
During the Ways and Means work session, a lawmaker urged the committee to use its oversight role to investigate alleged inappropriate behavior affecting youth at the Oregon Youth Authority; the committee said investigations are already underway and no committee action was taken.
During general remarks at the March 14 Ways and Means committee meeting, a Republican lawmaker raised concerns about alleged inappropriate behavior affecting youth at the Oregon Youth Authority and asked the committee — as a committee controlling funding — to investigate and ensure accountability.
The lawmaker said she had recent communications with people who work for the Youth Authority and at McLaren and said "many youth have been the subjects of inappropriate behavior" that has long-term impacts. The lawmaker asked the committee to "investigate and...find out what truly has occurred and to make sure that this never occurs again."
A committee co-chair responded that investigations are ongoing and that the governor had made decisions about the situation; the co-chair said she did not believe anyone thought the alleged behavior was appropriate. No formal committee motion or directive to staff was recorded in the transcript; the committee did not open a separate investigation or take an immediate funding-related action during the work session.
The remarks were entered on the public record in the committee meeting; transcript evidence indicates existing investigations are underway and that the committee did not supplant those processes at the session.
