Tennessee state officials continue scrambling to cover their exposed backsides. That’s about the best way you can put it when trying to explain the ridiculous hoopla and eventual license suspension, and – yes, we think discrimination – aimed at Chattanooga’s shelter for unaccompanied minor children.
After all, wouldn’t you think that complaints of possible sexual assault and battery at the shelter should result in some form of state investigation, intervention or at least accountability against any and all shelters or facilities in charge of children?
But no. Despite the fact that there have been other similar allegations against other shelters, the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services suspended only one – just one -residential child care license in the past five years, that of the Baptiste Group, the federal contractor that operated the shelter in Chattanooga for unaccompanied migrant children.
And, well, duh, the shelter operators believe the state unjustly targeted their facility.
“Other agencies under the licensing authority of the Department who have had similar allegations of inappropriate conduct by staff members with minors in their care and custody have not had orders of summary suspension issued against them and have been allowed to continue to operate,” according to a petition for review filed in Davidson County Chancery Court on July 20. “The only difference between those other agencies and [The Baptiste Group] is the fact that TBG is a minority-owned business and serves the unaccompanied minor population who primarily come from Central America.”