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Residents tell Durham commissioners DSS practices need accountability; no-contact orders, racial disparities raised
Summary
Three public commenters accused Durham County Department of Social Services of failing children and using no-contact orders against community critics; callers asked the board for accountability and requested an educational presentation on DSS procedures be scheduled for January.
During public comment at the Dec. 1 Durham County work session, two in-person speakers and one virtual commenter raised allegations about the Department of Social Services and called on the board to act.
Antoinette Hawes (resident) said a DSS director filed a no-contact order against a community leader and accused the department of failing to provide required visits, misrepresenting data, and eroding community confidence. Hawes told commissioners: "The children are not receiving their visits. The parents are not getting the representation. The children are suffering, and the community is suffering and lacking."
Doug Hodges, executive director and founder of Swing Pals, spoke about his nonprofit’s youth work and asked for commissioners’ support for programming space; his remarks were an appeal for partnership rather than a complaint. Hodges said Swing Pals has "worked with over 10,000 Durham Public School students in the last 6 years" and invited commissioners to visit programs at Neil Middle School.
Amanda Wallace, founder of Operation Stop CPS (virtual), said the county issued a no-contact order restricting her attendance at public meetings and alleged systemic racial disparities in child custody, stating that "over 70 percent of the children in Durham County custody are Black" and that stays in custody average more than two years. Wallace framed these outcomes as features of the system and urged the board to address them.
Board members acknowledged the public comments and several commissioners requested a fuller briefing on DSS procedures and the court process. Manager Hager said staff will provide a framework this week and scheduled a January work session presentation involving DSS Child Protective Services staff, DSS attorneys, and possibly the public defender’s office and a judge to explain statutory obligations and court roles. Commissioners emphasized that state statutes govern DSS operations and that a staff-led informational session should clarify what the county can and cannot do.
The board did not take immediate formal action on the allegations during the Dec. 1 work session; the January presentation was agreed as the next step.
