WICHITA, Kansas, June 17, 2008 -- A group of citizens are calling for a state investigation into the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office and the Kansas Social and Rehabilitation Services after the head of SRS was recorded saying the DA's office bullied social workers into falsifying court documents.
"In Sedgwick County often times we end up writing things because it's what our social workers get bullied by the District Attorney's Office into writing," SRS Secretary Don Jordan said at a March 19th meeting. "They really have no belief in what it says."
Marlene Jones says she knows first hand that it happens. She claims falsified records led to the removal of her grandson from his mother. Jones was looking for answers at that March meeting but never expected to hear say what he did.
"I was absolutely floored," she told KSN. "I just sat there, I think, with my mouth open. I could not believe that this man was saying this. He was admitting that he knew about what was going on."
His comments also surprised district attorney Nola Foulston. "It was kind of like, 'where did you pull that out of?' And I can tell you where it was pulled out of," she said.
Foulston says she immediately called a meeting with. "Who made these claims? When were they made? Who did they report them to? Did you do any investigating on these to determine the truth to these claims and what action did you take? And the answer to all of the above was 'no' and 'nothing'."
Foulston adamantly denies any wrongdoing from her office. "That is reprehensible behavior and it does not occur in this office."
But now, Marlene and a group of other woman are asking Kansas Attorney General Stephen Six to investigate.
"If they're violating the law he should have the duty and the responsibility to us citizens, the people of
Kansas , to investigate," said child advocate Donna Roberts.
The women are not only asking for an investigation into the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office but the man who made the allegations in the first place.
"If he felt the law was being broken, he has a duty to tell someone, do something, get that stopped," said Nancy Berry, another one of the woman who is calling for the investigation. "These people are losing their children over lies."
Foulston says apologized to her for making the comments. KSN contacted a spokesperson from the SRS and were told they were issuing a statement clarifying Secretary ’s comments but at 10:00 pm on Tuesday we had not received that statement.
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