Resident’s death investigated at agency facility in Dryden
State police and William George Agency officials are investigating the death of an agency resident that occurred there Wednesday evening.
Alexis Javier Cirino-Rodriquez, 20, “became unresponsive after a physical incident involving intervention by the staff from the facility” around 7:18 p.m., according to an announcement by state police officials. Agency staff began CPR, which was continued by Dryden Ambulance personnel, the officials added.
Cirino-Rodriquez was taken to Cortland Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, the officials said. The autopsy results are pending.
The William George Agency for Children’s Services, previously known as George Junior Republic, located in Dryden, is a voluntary agency overseen by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). These voluntary agencies often take care of foster children, and a person can be in foster care up to age of 21 in certain circumstances, OCFS officials said.
They track injuries at the facilities they operate, but not at voluntary agencies, OCFS officials said.
The agency treats troubled youths and provides family services, according to its website.
In a one-paragraph statement released Thursday, agency officials said they’re conducting an internal investigation and that “further information will be released as it becomes available.”
“This tragic event marks a time of sorrow and grief throughout our campus,” the statement read.
3 comments:
This is a sad event to happen at this type of facility. Unfortuanately restraints are a big part of this environment. Very little training is done for staff to keep the boys from being restrained. The direct staff in the cottages are encouraged to restrain the residents when the residents refuse to follow directions. So sad. When the state checks on these type of facilities need to make inspections without telling the facility the inspection is going to be done. When the facility knows an inpection is coming the hide things they know are being violated and correct them for the inspection. i say this having worked at this facility and know it first hand.
My prayers and thoughts are with the innocent staff not involved in this incident. It is a sad day for the entire campus. My prayers and thoughts are with this child's friends and family for their loss.
You speak truth and I thank you.
Beverly, I thank you for posting this. They eventually decided the death was "accidental", although mechanical asphyxiation should not be considered accidental if any other person was involved in forcing a position that blocked airways. The DAs office has stated they will not be filing charges.
New York State is only now starting legislation that requires oversight of these restraints in public schools. In general, residential facilities here have much higher requirements of reporting, but there is no legal consequence, as you can see.
Anonymous is correct when s/he states that these restraints are often used for compliance rather than in situations of real danger. I had an elementary principal tell me less than a year ago, "How else are we going to control these kids?" He sanctioned putting my son in a prone hold for 20 minutes after he tried to escape from a closet the school was forcing him into.
Four people held this nine-year-old face down, and I was astonished that they really didn't think there was anything to worry about. They felt my son was safe, because they were watching his face for signs of distress, and they were "trained".
Prone holds kill, and it is a dangerous misconception to think that they only kill when used improperly.
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