The shocking sexual assault and murder of a 65-year-old teacher at the Cheltenham Youth Facility in Prince George's County was a wake-up call to the risk of workplace violence faced by state workers at such institutions. The body of Hannah Wheeling, who had taught youths at the troubled institution since 2004, was found more than a week ago near the parking lot of the building where she worked. Police have identified a 13-year-old boy as a suspect.
This isn't the first time Cheltenham has drawn attention. As one of the state's 11 juvenile facilities for youths awaiting trial or disposition of their cases, it's had a long history of escapes, violence and staff shortages; until 2008 it was under the scrutiny of federal monitors. The brutal crime committed by Ms. Wheeling's assailant suggests that the problems there are far from over.
Employees and others familiar with the site say security procedures are often lax and that they fear for their safety because there aren't enough staff to properly supervise the approximately 80 youths housed there. Many of the buildings that make up the complex are deteriorating; poor lighting and a lack of security cameras in some areas add to the hazards. The combination of inadequate infrastructure and facilities, along with systemic problems in its security protocols, have left many Cheltenham staffers both fearful and demoralized.
Yet instead seeking to reassure workers that officials are doing everything possible to keep them safe, the Department of Juvenile Services seems bent on blocking inquiries into the incident by other state agencies that have an interest in resolving these difficulties. Neither the Juvenile Justice Monitoring Unit nor the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health agency were allowed to interview Cheltenham's staffers after the incident, and the president of the union representing teachers there said his members had been told not to discuss the incident. There's a difference between keeping an on-going investigation close to the vest and stonewalling the public, and DJS officials appear to have crossed that line.
No wonder lawmakers are now demanding an accounting of the incident from DJS Secretary Donald W. DeVore. State Sen. C. Anthony Muse, a Prince George's County Democrat, has asked the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee to summon Mr. DeVore before the panel to so he could respond to their questions himself. We can't imagine there'll be any shortage of answers they'll be looking for.
Was a long-standing rule requiring staffers to be monitored at all times followed the day Ms. Wheeling was killed? Was the resident assistant who is supposed to provide security for classroom teachers on duty when the crime was committed? Did other staff members notice Ms. Wheeling's car had been left in the parking lot overnight? Was the area where the victim's body was found under surveillance? And if the answer to any of these questions is no, why not?
These are the kinds of questions that workers at Cheltenham or any other youth facility around the state want to have answered before they can feel safe again. Marlana Valdez, director of the Juvenile Justice Monitoring Unit, says it's essential to determine what happened and what kinds of facility-related or systemic issues may have contributed to Ms. Wheeling's death in order to ensure that the safety of the remaining staffers and youths doesn't continue to be compromised.
Police and DJS investigators have legitimate reasons to protect the integrity of their investigation. But when that concern leads them to obstruct the activities of other agencies with a legal obligation to make their own independent inquiries and uncover problems, neither the public employees' interests in a safe and secure workplace nor those of the troubled youths housed in state facilities are served.