FACT THAT FATHER’S SISTER WORKED FOR ST LAWRENCE COUNTY DSS (SLCDSS) DID NOT CREATE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, SLCDSS CAN PROSECUTE THE NEGLECT PETITION (THIRD DEPT).
The Third Department determined the fact that father’s sister was a supervisor in St. Lawrence County Department of Social Services (SLCDSS) did not present a conflict of interest such that SLCDSS could not prosecute a neglect petition. Family Court had transferred the matter to the Jefferson County Department of Social Services (JCDSS):
In SLCDSS’s papers submitted in response to petitioner’s motion, SLCDSS noted that the father’s sister is a grade A supervisor in its Child Preventive Services Unit and, in light of the neglect petition, the case would be transferred from the Child Protective Unit to the Child Preventive Services Unit. The mere fact, however, that the father’s sister was employed with SLCDSS as a supervisor does not justify disqualifying SLCDSS from prosecuting the neglect petition, especially where SLCDSS does not demonstrate that such fact created actual prejudice or a substantial risk of an abuse of confidence … . Moreover, the record discloses that since Family Court’s order, SLCDSS has taken steps to ensure that the father’s sister has no supervisory role in the father’s case. In view of the foregoing, we find that no conflict of interest exists prohibiting SLCDSS from prosecuting the neglect proceeding … . Matter of Gage II. (Rachel JJ.), 2017 NY Slip Op 08931, Third Dept 12-21-17
FAMILY LAW (MUNICIPAL LAW, CONFLICT OF INTEREST, FACT THAT FATHER’S SISTER WORKED FOR ST LAWRENCE COUNTY DSS (SLCDSS) DID NOT CREATE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, SLCDSS CAN PROSECUTE THE NEGLECT PETITION (THIRD DEPT))/MUNICIPAL LAW (FAMILY LAW, DSS, FACT THAT FATHER’S SISTER WORKED FOR ST LAWRENCE COUNTY DSS (SLCDSS) DID NOT CREATE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, SLCDSS CAN PROSECUTE THE NEGLECT PETITION (THIRD DEPT))/NEGLECT (FAMILY LAW, MUNICIPAL LAW, CONFLICT OF INTEREST, FACT THAT FATHER’S SISTER WORKED FOR ST LAWRENCE COUNTY DSS (SLCDSS) DID NOT CREATE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, SLCDSS CAN PROSECUTE THE NEGLECT PETITION (THIRD DEPT))