Missouri child welfare agency CEO’s policy: Don’t call 911 for hurt kids, charges say
The head of a child welfare agency in Missouri allegedly had a written policy not to call 911 for children injured in student-related incidents, according to court documents.
He used discipline to discourage staff from calling for emergency medical services, according to criminal charges filed against him.
Among the children’s injuries not immediately reported over the past year: a broken back from a suicide attempt, stabbing in the liver, multiple lacerations after a suicide attempt, a broken clavicle and a physiological manifestation of an acute anxiety episode, according to court documents.
The allegations are contained in court documents charging Vincent D. Hillyer, president and CEO of Great Circle, with six felony counts of child endangerment.
“All of these children failed to receive timely emergency medical attention” because of Hillyer’s alleged policy not to call 911, the court documents said.
Hillyer, 58, of Eureka, Missouri, has also been charged in a second case with one felony count of attempted second-degree child endangerment and a misdemeanor fourth-degree assault.
Video allegedly shows Hillyer restraining and choking a child in April, according to court documents.
Hillyer was arrested Tuesday after police executed a search warrant at Great Circle Academy, an alternative school of about 250 students that offers boarding in Webster Groves, Missouri, near St. Louis. The Missouri Department of Social Services Children’s Division received a hotline telephone call about a child being choked at that school.
Great Circle is one of the largest behavior health providers in Missouri, providing services to thousands of children in state custody and students with mental illnesses and learning disabilities. It operates six schools, including one in Independence, and provides counseling centers and home services statewide.
According to court documents, at one time Great Circle’s contract with the Missouri Department of Social Services Children’s Division was suspended for a fight between students that resulted in one student having a broken nose, concussion and multiple contusions.
There allegedly was a substantial delay in reporting the incident to emergency medical services for assistance, which prompted an investigation by the state.
Court documents allege that Hillyer had initiated a policy to not call emergency medical services for student-related incidents and used disciplinary actions to discourage employees from calling 911.
Other instances of serious injuries to children were discovered, according to court documents, and in every incident Hillyer’s “oral and written policy that was located throughout the Great Circle campus reiterated the policy to not call 911.”
The serious injuries occurred over the past year, with the first happening March 16, 2018, and the last on March 4. move up
The Children’s Division entered into a corrective action plan on March 26 with the Great Circle’s St. Louis campus, said Heather Dolce, assistant communications director for the Missouri Department of Social Services.
“The corrective action plan includes the following: a review of emergency procedures; a written supervision plan to address responses to critical events; critical incident report training; security camera installation; required access for law enforcement in the event of a critical incident; critical incident report monitoring; and unscheduled on-site monitoring by Children’ Division staff,” she wrote in an email.
The state agency will continue to provide whatever support necessary to ensure the safety of children in its care, Dolce said.
HIllyer has been placed on administrative leave, according to a statement Wednesday from Great Circle’s board of directors.
The agency emailed another statement to The Star on Thursday:
“The safety and well-being of the young people we serve is our top priority at all times. Great Circle has comprehensive policies and procedures in place, and every staff member undergoes extensive training related to those policies. We have trained nurses on staff, and staff are trained to call 911 whenever they believe a client is in need of emergency medical attention. All staff members are expected to comply with policies and procedures in all of their interactions with clients.”
Great Circle also added it has video cameras in place at each of its campus locations but did not specify when the cameras were installed.
It is unclear if the video allegedly showing Hillyer choking a child was recorded on one of the campus’ surveillance cameras.
The board said Great Circle will cooperate fully with any and all reviews of the care provided at its facilities.
This story was originally published May 9, 2019 at 6:33 PM.
