CLEVELAND — A Cuyahoga County councilman wants answers after a News 5 investigation found continuing problems at the same group home where a teen resident drowned six years ago.
“I appreciate Channel 5 and yourself bringing it to my attention,” said Councilman Martin J. Sweeney, who serves as vice-chair of council’s Health, Human Services and Aging Committee.
A state investigation found a worker inside Quality Care Residential Homes pulled a baton, threatened and pushed a child during a June argument inside the group home.
RELATED: Aunt of teen who drowned concerned after new problems surface at Cleveland group home
That incident was captured on cell phone video.
It’s just one of several pages of violations of state regulations at the facility that inspectors noted in the last two years, according to records.
The problems are inside a group home that Cuyahoga County has paid more than $1.9 million to help house foster kids in the county’s care since March 2022.
“If this is how they serve and protect and care for the individuals that are very vulnerable, it’s not the way to do business and Cuyahoga county should not participate in a situation like that,” said Sweeney.
Cuyahoga County stopped sending foster kids to the group home following the 2018 drowning of 13-year-old Shaud Howell.
A state investigation found a group home employee dropped Howell and two other teens off at Edgewater Beach and left them unsupervised for more than an hour.
Howell, who could barely swim, drowned.
The state cited the group home for several violations but allowed it to remain open after administrators submitted plans to correct problems.
In 2021, the group home submitted a bid to resume caring for the county’s foster kids and was awarded a new contract.
Howell’s great aunt, Renise Burtz, called it a slap in the face.
“When do you go back and realize, ‘hey I can see that y’all still can’t get it together and we pull these kids and it ain’t no coming back?” said Burtz.
Sweeney said he doesn’t remember any mention of the group home’s connection to the drowning when council was asked to approve the new contract.
Asked if he believed the county should continue doing business with Quality Care Residential Homes, Sweeney said that’s what he needs to figure out.
“I’m looking forward to talking to my county executive to figure out what we’re doing and how we’re going to address it so it doesn’t happen again,” said Sweeney.
The attorney representing the group home’s operators has not responded to a request for comment.
