Child welfare manager files tort claim

A program manager in Washington state’s child welfare system who publicly criticized his own agency has filed a $1.5 million tort claim, alleging state officials retaliated against him for speaking to legislators.

Bob Partlow, a 59-year-old program manager in the Children’s Administration, said state officials changed his job duties after he told a legislative task force in 2005 that Washington’s oversight of child welfare was “dysfunctional” and “disheartening.”

In the tort claim, which must be filed before a state agency can be sued, Partlow alleges that he was moved to a “small, windowless room” earlier this year and given a job archiving adoption records – which he considered a demotion. Partlow is a program manager for the recruitment and retention of foster parents.

“It was humiliating, and it certainly wasn’t part of my job description,” Partlow said in an interview.

A state official asked him to apologize for his speech, and when questioned about his change in job duties, responded that “trust is a hard thing to earn back,” according to the claim.

Kathy Spears, a state spokeswoman, said the agency does not comment on pending litigation.

In the tort claim, Partlow named several state employees, including Ross Dawson, Children’s director of policy and practice improvement, and Partlow’s supervisor, Deanna Bedell, among others.

“Ross Dawson has been a problem within the Children’s Adminsitration for many years,” said Sen. Val Stevens, R-Arlington. “It does not surprise me that he would take retaliatory action. He is about power and control, not truth and protecting children.”

In the 2005 speech, Partlow praised fellow employees but said they dealt with a bureaucracy that made decisions in isolation and didn’t recognize the contributions of its best workers and foster parents.

Partlow, a former foster parent, urged the legislative committee to demand more accountability, better communications and specific plans for improving the care of children.

“I want the culture of this place to finally change,” he said Thursday. “It’s not about the money – I know everyone says that. It’s about change.

“I want this place to start respecting its employees, and I want it to start respecting its foster parents.”