Residents urge accountability on Department of Social Services; allege misconduct and call for review
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Summary
Two public commenters accused the Department of Social Services of negligence and misconduct and called on the board to demand accountability; one commenter also alleged the county continues a decade-long contract with an attorney under state bar investigation and asked for board action to review the contract.
CLINTON, N.C. — During public comment at the Sampson County Board of Commissioners meeting, residents urged the board to take action on perceived failures at the Department of Social Services (DSS) and asked for greater transparency and accountability.
Apostle Moon told the board he had tried to obtain dates for DSS board meetings and requested a meeting with the DSS director and the commissioner who sits on that board. Moon said he had raised concerns about an ongoing contract with an attorney (identified in the comment as Bradshaw) that he said has been renewed for up to 10 years and that, according to Moon, the attorney is under investigation with the state bar. "I'm asking for accountability," Moon said, and asked commissioners to meet with affected parents.
Another commenter made forceful allegations that local DSS staff and supervisors had engaged in misconduct, including fabricating reports and failing to reunite families. The speaker described personal family impacts and called the system "morally bankrupt," and offered copies of documentation to the board.
The board acknowledged the comments and said staff would follow up. No policy vote or formal action addressing the specific allegations was recorded in the meeting minutes; the comments were taken during the public comment period and the board directed staff to follow up where appropriate.
