State agency under
scrutiny for abuse

AUSTIN (KXAN) - After a series of allegations of neglect and abuse, once again, a state agency is under scrutiny. In 2008, at least 114 residents of state schools died. According to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, 53 of those deaths were preventable.

Texas' system of state schools are intended to serve as living facilities for people with development disabilities. The system includes 13 campuses, most of them serving between 400 and 600 residents. One school is located in Austin.

Farhat Chishty recalls the day when her son, Haseeb, nearly died at a state school in Denton. Haseeb, who is mentally retarded, is now confined to a wheelchair and unable to feed himself or go to the bathroom, after a care worker repeatedly kicked and punched him six years ago.

"Right after four weeks, he was tortured by a caretaker," said Chishty.  "Nobody allowed me to go in his room," said Chishty. "All night long, he was dying by himself in his own blood and own urine."

That care worker is now serving 15 years for aggravated assault. The case is one of several that prompted the Justice Department to investigate all 13 state schools, including Austin State School. According to the findings more than 800 state employees have been suspended or fired for abusing residents.

Federal investigators also documented two cases of residents swallowing Swiss Army Knives and in February, a 17 year-old-girl told a staff member that she was raped by a male staff member, but it was not reported until days later. "What alarms me is, what else do we not know," said State Senator John Whitmire, D-Houston. "Once again, we are seeing a state agency that probably does not have adequate resources."

Yet, Cecilia Fedorov, a spokeswoman for the Department of Aging and Disability Services, said Tuesday this is not comparable to the problem at the Texas Youth Commission and that the agency is currently reviewing the 62-page letter and are working with federal officials. "Really we won't know exactly what the final outcome of all this is until the negotiations have been finalized," said Fedorov. Until then, Whitmire said the problem will take priority in the next legislative session as lawmakers try to pinpoint and fix the problem which is resulting in lapses of care.