A group of 28 ministers and legislators led by Rev. George Clements accused the Catholic Conference of Illinois on Tuesday of ”spearheading a conspiracy” to dump Gordon Johnson as director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
In addition, the group charged that a recent series of Tribune articles that examined the state`s performance in handling abused and neglected children had attacked the ”integrity and character” of Johnson, whom they lauded as an excellent administrator.
”DCFS works and it works because of Gordon Johnson and we think these attacks should stop,” said Rep. Carol Moseley Braun (D., Chicago).
Father Clements charged that a ”conspiracy” to dump Johnson was headed by James Lago, executive director of the Catholic Conference, the public affairs branch of the Roman Catholic dioceses in the state, and other private agencies that hold DCFS contracts to provide care for mistreated children.
Father Clements said the groups had targeted Johnson for removal because they were disgruntled about the amount of contract money they receive from the state.
Lago and Bridget Helmholz, associate director of the Child Care Association of Illinois, a group of 54 private providers, said they were
”shocked” by Father Clements` allegation and denied there was any conspiracy or plan to oust Johnson.
Johnson could not be reached for comment, but a spokesman for Gov. James R. Thompson said there was no move afoot to replace the director.
”Gordon Johnson is doing an excellent job. The governor is very pleased with his performance,” said spokesman James Prescott.
Braun was among five Democratic legislators who appeared at the Tuesday press conference at Holy Angels Church, 607 Oakwood Blvd., to publicly praise Johnson`s accomplishments as DCFS director.
The ministers, many of them members of Johnson`s One Church, One Child program to spur black adoptions, said The Tribune failed to point out Johnson`s successes.
”His accomplishments in his few years at DCFS have been staggering,”
said Rev. John Smyth, executive director of Maryville Academy, Des Plaines.
The Tribune series detailed findings of a three-month investigation into the workings of DCFS. It concluded that thousands of mistreated children were rescued each year from abusive homes only to become victimized by a child welfare system that lacked resources to properly care for them.
The House Committee on State Government Administration on Wednesday will hold the second in a series of hearings on DCFS operations in Springfield.
The hearings were called in response to a Sept. 14 Tribune article reporting a 49 percent increase in the statewide death toll from child abuse. In about one-fourth of the families where a child died, DCFS earlier had investigated a report of abuse and neglect.
