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	Controversy Plagued Six-Year Stint By O'Ryan Johnson Boston Herald May 23, 2007 http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=1002695 Harry Spence’s six-and-a-half-year tenure as head of the Department of Social Services was marred by the deaths and severe beatings of several children in his agency’s care that had the beleaguered DSS chief fighting to keep his job. It started in July 2005 with Dontel Jeffers, the 4-year-old Boston boy who was allegedly bound with a telephone cord and beaten to death while in foster care. It continued through December 2005, with Hailey Poutre, the 12-year-old girl who was beaten into a coma, with DSS poised to pull the plug when she made a miraculous recovery. And it culminated with the most recent accusation: that under Spence’s leadership DSS failed to act on allegations of sexual abuse by a South End minister, even though the agency had reported a call from the alleged predator attempting to turn himself in. Spence came in as a reformer in December 2001, taking charge as the agency was under fire for the cases of other children who died while under its watch. Among the highlights on his resume were his stewardship of both the troubled Boston Housing Authority and the bankrupt city of Chelsea. When faced with public criticism as DSS chief, Spence has responded with defiance, trotting out his agency’s woefully small budget and understaffing. But his critics continued to point the finger at him. One of the most disturbing cases came earlier this year when a Hull couple was indicted on first-degree murder charges after they allegedly medicated their 4-year-old daughter, Rebecca Riley, with powerful psychotropic drugs until she died. DSS case workers were aware of the girl’s condition and were monitoring the family at the time of Riley’s death. A DSS supervisor scheduled a surprise visit to the home the day before the girl was found lifeless. Then last week the Herald disclosed that a 14-year-old boy was allegedly molested by a youth minister at a South End church. DSS lost three reports in May 2005 that alleged abuse against a boy by the Rev. Lawrence Brown at Mount Calvary Baptist Church including the report of a phone call from Brown where he allegedly admitted his wrongdoing. Gov. Deval Patrick has ordered a probe into how DSS handles such reports, and the agency itself vowed a full investigation. E-mail: ojohnson@bostonherald.com
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