Suozzi Orders Immediate Review of All Open Nassau County CPS Cases

County Suspends Caseworker Supervisor After Tragedy in New Cassel

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Mineola, NY – Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi today called the tragic deaths of three children in New Cassel over the weekend a “horrific crime” as he released more detailed information about the events leading up to the homicide.  Standing with senior County officials, including the Commissioner of the Nassau County Police Department and the Commissioner of the Department of Social Services (DSS), Suozzi ordered an immediate review of all 1,043 open cases in the Department of Child Protective Services to make sure they are being handled properly.  Suozzi announced that his Commissioner of Investigations is spearheading a thorough review of the County’s contact and involvement with the family. 

Suozzi also announced that a caseworker supervisor in the Nassau County Department of Social Services has been suspended without pay pending an investigation.

“While we still have many unanswered questions, the devastating reality is that three children are dead and this says that somewhere, somehow, the system failed,” Suozzi said.  “It is our job in government to protect our residents, especially our most vulnerable citizens – our children.  This is a heartbreaking tragedy for everyone involved and we have to make sure that something like this never happens again.  There were many different points of contact with this family on so many levels and we need to find out why the system failed these children.  I don’t know if we could have prevented this crime, but we need to understand what went wrong.  I’ve ordered an immediate review of anything related to this case, and the CPS supervisor has been suspended until we can find out why, after a visit on Friday evening, a follow-up visit to the children’s home wasn’t scheduled to happen until Sunday.”

Suozzi called for an investigation, of which the preliminary results revealed the following:

• There should have been more aggressive follow-up to the investigation that started Friday, February 22nd.  This resulted in the suspension without pay, pending a full investigation, of the supervisor assigned to this case;
• A need for additional supportive services to the mother, who already had received significant support and services from and through the County;
• The need for greater communication among the several government agencies with whom she had contact, some of which would require changes in regulations and laws; and
• That there was no basis for the County to have removed the children from the mother’s care prior to the events of this past weekend

Suozzi also said the County’s continuing investigation will need to answer 3 questions:

1. Should the County have removed the children at some point in the past?  In reviewing the record, it appears that there was not enough evidence to recommend a removal.
2. Should we have offered this family additional services?  Clearly she received many services from the County, but there may have been other opportunities to provide services and we are looking at it very carefully.
3. Should CPS have acted differently with regard to the events of Friday afternoon?  Absolutely yes.  In this case, a worker went to the house Friday afternoon, Friday evening, and another contact was not scheduled until Sunday.  Suozzi said the supervisor should have sent a case worker out on Saturday.

The Nassau County Police Department is conducting a triple homicide investigation.

Further information will continue to be provided as it becomes available.