Iowa Governor Terry Branstad says “concerning” reports have emerged about cases involving the Department of Human Services, but Branstad says he will not “second guess” the agency’s response thus far. Investigators recently determined some staff at the state-run Glenwood facility where patients with profound mental disabilities live, were physically and verbally abusing the patients. During his weekly news conference, Branstad was asked how that culture of abuse was allowed.
Six employees at the Glenwood facility were fired, six quit and five others have been disciplined, but no supervisors were disciplined. Branstad says the Department of Human Services has done an extensive investigation and there’s additional review now being done by the Ombudsman’s office and elsewhere.
Branstad is calling on legislators to remove privacy restrictions and make records about state employee firings available to the public.
