The county and the Sheriff’s Office recently took swift
action looking into allegations of sexual improprieties
at Juvenile Hall.
The county and the Sheriff’s Office recently took swift
action looking into allegations of sexual improprieties
at Juvenile Hall.
The investigation cleared two unnamed Juvenile Hall employees of any wrongdoing. That action is certainly commendable, but more needs to be done. It was only a first step in attempting to restore public confidence in an important department.
The county still needs to come clean about the investigation into Chief Probation Officer Deborah Botts and former Juvenile Hall Superintendent Tim Pierleoni, who resigned on Tuesday.
Both Botts and Pierleoni were placed on administrative leave in October. While Pierleoni has resigned under a cloud of suspicion, Botts remains on administrative leave. And the county remains silent on what’s going on within the Probation Department.
Botts, who led 35 employees and controlled an annual operating budget in excess of $1 million, is a public official. And the public has a right to know what is going on with officials who are charged with serving their interests. This is especially important considering that Botts played a key role in the criminal justice system.
If officials are placed on paid leave, replaced by interim employees, and then the whole matter is swept under the rug by the county, how can the public have any faith that its tax dollars are being spent appropriately? How can the public have faith in the criminal justice system?
The county, in its silence, seems to be saying that the public doesn’t need to know. And this is a mistake. The public does need to know. The public has a right to know. That is one of the founding principles of the democracy that we Americans cherish. How else can the people hold their government accountable? The public’s right to know should never be suppressed for the convenience of public officials who have made mistakes. And if Botts and Pierleoni haven’t made any mistakes, the public has a right to know that as well.
The county needs to take a hard look at policies surrounding these issues. The county would do well to remember the words of James Madison, who once said “the censorial power is in the people over the Government, and not in the Government over the people.”
