Allegations of Blatant Racism Fracture Columbus Juvenile Court Dept.

[LISTEN UP]

KEEP HOPE ALIVE wrote:

THE JUDGES IS NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO NEED TO HEAR THIS DONT FORGET ABOUT THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.

SOMEBODY NEEDS TO GET THIS TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS!

[Concerned]

KEEP HOPE ALIVE wrote:

THE JUDGES IS NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO NEED TO HEAR THIS DONT FORGET ABOUT THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.

According to several of the staff that was in the meeting on Thursday, they reported that the Judges made it very clear that they are in full support of the administration. Pretty much everyone is aware that the Judges received a letter from one of the PO's a couple of weeks ago, yet still nothing has been addressed. It is clear that the Judges in this court will not do anything to deal with the blatant racism and power hungry women that these staff are having to deal with on a daily basis. The court is infested with dysfunction. At this point, the craziness is manifesting and oozing outwards and upwards too. It is getting out of control. Someone must take all of this to the media as soon as possible to put a stop to this catastrophe.
Everything that has been mentioned on this on site is only the tip of the iceburg here. Can you imagine what the insiders are going through daily?!

[From the outside]

Not that I disagree with anything that has been said...I just need to make a correction to the original letter. Amanda's laptop was also stolen out of her car just like Warren's, it was not "lost." Also, they refused to provide her with another laptop, she was given a desktop. This situation happened in October of 2004, Amanda left in February of 2007 and still did not have another laptop.

[FELECIA]

IT SEEMS AS THOUGH EVERYTHING WENT DOWN HILL WHEN NANCY CATENA LEFT. DOES ANYONE FEEL THE SAME AS I DO? NANCY WAS A GOOD ADVOCATE FOR HER WORKERS. A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN THE SMART PROGRAM WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CUT, SHE FAUGHT FOR IT, IF AN EMPLOYEE CAME TO HER WITH A CONCERN AND IT WAS VALID, SHE FAUGHT FOR THAT EMPLOYEE. I FEEL AS THOUGH SHE WENT WAY BEYOND HER CALL OF DUTY IN MOST INSTANCES WHEN IT CAME TO HER EMPLOYEES. AS LONG AS YOU DID YOUR JOB; SHE DID NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH YOU. BY NO MEANS WAS SHE A MICRO MANAGER. I APPRECIATE NANCY FOR WHAT SHE DID FOR HER EMPLOYEES, AND I SURE HATED IT WHEN SHE LEFT. I KNOW ALOT OF PEOPLE MISS HER ALSO.

[SageDog]

Shame on the Judges, County Commissioners, and Administration. Shame on the tax payers of Franklin County for not demanding fairness, equality, and honesty from a Court system that determines the fate of children and families.Is there racism and sexism? Probably. Most of all, UNFAIRNESS across the board. There are supervisors who refused to discipline employees for lying about work time. There are supervisors who are "friends" with subordinates directly under their command and show blatant favortism. There are supervisors who tried to discipline people for taking federally mandated family medical leave. Some people get compensation while others are told to flex overtime or receive nothing at all depending on whether they are "liked" or not-not whether they do a good job and not take advantage.Some people work while others play and get paid. Where is the common sense? Where are the "leaders" without detrimental issues affecting their behaviors, which in turn, creates a negative atmosphere of distrust? An organization does not have such massive turnover in a short amount of time simply due to people not wanting to follow new rules. Many people who left had been there for years and known for their committment to their jobs and role to service the community to their best ability. Politics are in any organization. However, this system seems to thrive on dysfunction, egoism, incompetence, and favortism. This would not seem to project the image of a juvenile court system entrusted to protect and rehabilitate. Perhaps if the Judges, commissioners and administration do not care, the public needs to be made aware. Shame, shame, shame.

[Concerned]

SageDog wrote:

Shame on the Judges, County Commissioners, and Administration. Shame on the tax payers of Franklin County for not demanding fairness, equality, and honesty from a Court system that determines the fate of children and families.Is there racism and sexism? Probably. Most of all, UNFAIRNESS across the board. There are supervisors who refused to discipline employees for lying about work time. There are supervisors who are "friends" with subordinates directly under their command and show blatant favortism. There are supervisors who tried to discipline people for taking federally mandated family medical leave. Some people get compensation while others are told to flex overtime or receive nothing at all depending on whether they are "liked" or not-not whether they do a good job and not take advantage.Some people work while others play and get paid. Where is the common sense? Where are the "leaders" without detrimental issues affecting their behaviors, which in turn, creates a negative atmosphere of distrust? An organization does not have such massive turnover in a short amount of time simply due to people not wanting to follow new rules. Many people who left had been there for years and known for their committment to their jobs and role to service the community to their best ability. Politics are in any organization. However, this system seems to thrive on dysfunction, egoism, incompetence, and favortism. This would not seem to project the image of a juvenile court system entrusted to protect and rehabilitate. Perhaps if the Judges, commissioners and administration do not care, the public needs to be made aware. Shame, shame, shame.

I too know many people who have been told they cannot flex out their time or even receive comp time. It happens all too often. Oh, people have failed to mention Karen's new policy of having to work only 7:30-4:30 or 8:00-5:00 NO EXCEPTIONS or you'll be written up!! Employees have to pick one or the other. The employees who I've talked to are exempt work straight through lunches and even work overtime. Those employees don't get compensated in any way, but instead have been told, "you are an exempt employee, that's how it works around here."

[Blessed]

Karen (and her right hand Keri) is the whole problem here. Karen killed the TOPS program. SHE was the one that decided not to go after the funding to keep it going. Why? Well, she says that it is because were not legally required to provide that program. But considering the racial makeup of the people that were in that progrm, I think something else.

[LISTEN UP]

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT ALL OF THIS? TALK IS CHEAP! WE NEED TO GET THIS OUT!

[Angry]

File a complaint at the Ohio civil rights office on Broad street.
Contact the Urban league
Call the newspaper at Four six one-5200
(sorry, this site wont allow phone numbers unles you post them this way)
Call
Channel 4 at Two six three-5555
Channel 6 at Four eight one-6672
Channel 10 at Four six zero-3950

[The Eye]

There is so much backstabbing and dysfunction within the juvinile court system. The people who are in charge to run it, act like petty,spoiled school children who lash out when they feel snubbed or slighted. Most professionals in the know are aware of how unhealthy the whole court system is and has been for years. There are cliques and if you aren't in your'e out. Alot of court employees have been mistreated. If the chief of probation can be treated the way he has been treated, what chances does a probation officer have? Anyone remember what happened to P.O. Burns? He didn't get adequate support, nor a chance to defend himself. Every one complains, but nothing has been altered or changed. In all reality, no one really wants to change the status quo. It's going to take more than talk and blogs. The big picture is that everyone is so focused on trying to keep their jobs, every one is out for self, so there is a division amongst court workers. And that's what the higher ups want, and that's what keeps them in position to delegate without contest and run Juvinile court like the dictators they are.

[Faith]

It is not only the black supervisor that is being discriminated against it is also her staff. If you are not in with Brenda you get no where. The answer tp all the racism is to mix up the probation units so the black supervisor does not have the same people in her unit that they are also targeting. The judges will not do anything because they do not care. All of Karen's puppets get their monthy parking reimbursed. How is that fair.

[sagedog]

The Eye wrote:

There is so much backstabbing and dysfunction within the juvinile court system. The people who are in charge to run it, act like petty,spoiled school children who lash out when they feel snubbed or slighted. Most professionals in the know are aware of how unhealthy the whole court system is and has been for years. There are cliques and if you aren't in your'e out. Alot of court employees have been mistreated. If the chief of probation can be treated the way he has been treated, what chances does a probation officer have? Anyone remember what happened to P.O. Burns? He didn't get adequate support, nor a chance to defend himself. Every one complains, but nothing has been altered or changed. In all reality, no one really wants to change the status quo. It's going to take more than talk and blogs. The big picture is that everyone is so focused on trying to keep their jobs, every one is out for self, so there is a division amongst court workers. And that's what the higher ups want, and that's what keeps them in position to delegate without contest and run Juvinile court like the dictators they are.

Do so few people working there not realize that by not taking a stand, they are in effect, slaves? Slaves to a system that is NOT working effectively??? What good does it do any person regardless of your bills or style of living to be in dread of a place you spend the majority of your time, a majority of your energy,a majority of your LIFe???? Wake up!! So many have spoken out about Brenda, but Brenda and Karen are just part of a long standing pattern of unprofessional, unethical,egoists. Take a look at the supervisor of the PSI unit. Why hasn't anyone questioned a turn over of 15 people in 5 years (count ending in 2006). One would think someone in a postion of power would question that and not accept "oh, its the deadlines, etc." as an answer. However, you are right. This only serves as a sounding board. The message is not getting out to anyone who may make a difference or even cares. Tragic. So many people who work there and have worked there, cared. Cared about what they were being paid for. But, no one in position of authority, cared.

[Who said this]

"Most of the people that work here are slackers or morons, and a lot of them are both"
2 hints: Her name begins with a K, and she is one of the two people behind this whole problem.

[Disagree]

sagedog wrote:

<quoted text>Do so few people working there not realize that by not taking a stand, they are in effect, slaves? Slaves to a system that is NOT working effectively??? What good does it do any person regardless of your bills or style of living to be in dread of a place you spend the majority of your time, a majority of your energy,a majority of your LIFe???? Wake up!! So many have spoken out about Brenda, but Brenda and Karen are just part of a long standing pattern of unprofessional, unethical,egoists. Take a look at the supervisor of the PSI unit. Why hasn't anyone questioned a turn over of 15 people in 5 years (count ending in 2006). One would think someone in a postion of power would question that and not accept "oh, its the deadlines, etc." as an answer. However, you are right. This only serves as a sounding board. The message is not getting out to anyone who may make a difference or even cares. Tragic. So many people who work there and have worked there, cared. Cared about what they were being paid for. But, no one in position of authority, cared.

I disagree. There are many of us who have tried for some time to leave the court. However, there are not a lot of opportunities out there. I can't think of one person who hasn't put out at least one resume. You must realize that many people that have worked within Juvenile Court have worked there for quite some time and have built up their salaries. It's not all about money, but for some people they do not have the education as others do to where they can just go get another job and get the same income. You must remember that these people have to be able to support their families and also have bills to pay. Many of us feel trapped.
By "taking a stand" or speaking our minds, we feel that we would get repercussions by administration. Yes, many us see the wrong doings occur. The sound board is an opportunity for us to be able to vent our frustrations of years of dysfunction in the hopes that those of you that have left will speak out for us. You have nothing to lose, we do. Many of us are being watched every day, literally. There are cameras that have been installed. There have been people who have been audited, placed on desk duty, our computers are being watched, etc.
It's easy for many people to say to us on the inside to "take a stand, speak up, do something." But we're caught in the fire. It's much easier said than done. We have the chance of losing our jobs. We all understand the type of system we are working for. But we each come to work everyday hoping we can individually make a difference in these kids' lives. Although we work for a horrible system, we still love what we do and we want to believe in it.
We insiders have a lot to lose, those of you that have left have nothing to lose. Many of you have friends still working at the courts. Please help us out and take a stand for us.

[KEEP HOPE ALIVE]

Just to piggy back off of "Disagree" the camara that was installed was not installed for the purpose that was given which was to protect the intake worker who work in the back hallway. Let me also mention that the only way to that back hallway is either through the clerks office (WHICH YOU NEED A KEY TO GET IN THROUGH THE CLERK OFFICE OR A EMPLOYEE HAVE TO LET YOU IN) OR THROUGH THE FAMILY ASSESMENT LOBBY) IF THEY WERE TRULY INTERSTED IN THE INTAKES SAFETY THEY WOULD HAVE PUT A PANIC BUTTON IN THEIR OFFICE. THE WAY THEY HAVE IT SET UP THE ONLY HELP ANYBODY CAN GIVE THEM IS A COPY OF THE PERSON RUNNING OUT OF THE OFFICE. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT THE ONLY THING THE CAMERA WILL BE ABLE TO DO IS "IN THE EVENT ONE OF THE INTAKERS IS GETTING THEIR ASS KICK IT WILL NOT PROVENT YOU GETTING YOUR ASS KICK IT WILL ONLY HELP IDENTFY WHO DID IT" OOOOPS I FORGOT IF BRENDA IS EATING LUNCH WITH HER LUNCH CREW SHE MAY NOT SEE IT. I DONT KNOW WHY BRENDA DID THAT WE ALL KNOW SHE NEEDS TO LOOSE SOME WEIGHT OR GET SHORTER (INTRODUCE HER PANTS TO HER SHOES. I GUESS SHE DOESNT AVE TO DO THE BIG BIRD WALK SHE CAN NOW DO IT HER OFFICE.

[Who said this]

Disagree wrote:

<quoted text>
We insiders have a lot to lose, those of you that have left have nothing to lose. Many of you have friends still working at the courts. Please help us out and take a stand for us.

We are trying. You need to do your part by making sure that everyone that works there knows about this board and posts names and details of the stuff that has gone down. There are people watching, but they need to know they have a case before they will come in and stop this mess.

[LISTEN UP]

I wonder why we haven't heard about this in the news media? I guess the news media is afraid to report racism in the court! We need to keep working to get this out to the public. Don't give up people!!!!!!!!!!

[SeriousSuzy]

HEY SAGEDOG!!! You're waaaaay to obvious. You may as well post your REAL name and social security number... THAT'S how obvious your retarded arguments really are.

[Frustina]

Serioussuzy is right on the money! Holy obvious!

[Blessed]

Has anyone asked April how she spends the raise she got for finding a way to get rid of CD?
(it is public record, all you have to do is ask)