Cussing welfare employee back at job

A North Idaho child welfare supervisor who accidentally left an expletive-laden message on the phone of a parent is back at work, against the wishes of state Sen. Mike Jorgenson.

Randy Geib, a 34-year veteran with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, was allowed to return after an investigation. Agency officials wouldn’t say Wednesday whether he was disciplined, citing personnel rules.

“We looked into the situation, we looked at his work history, and we took the appropriate action,” said Tom Shanahan, a spokesman for the agency. “He does remain employed.”

But Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, said Wednesday that he was disappointed that Geib was back on the job after a paid leave of absence.

“I don’t see that as any corrective kind of measure,” he said.

Geib was placed on leave after a July 19 phone call to Bryan Sturdy, of Coeur d’Alene, whose 5-year-old son was in the custody of child welfare workers. After leaving Sturdy a message, Geib failed to hang up and instead recorded a string of profanities as he joked that he’d almost left a home number instead of a work number to return the call.

Sturdy received a letter of apology from Michelle Britton, the agency director, and from the caseworker, who will continue to work with Sturdy regarding his child, said Michael Palmer, a Coeur d’Alene lawyer representing Sturdy.

Geib has not apologized personally, Shanahan said. But the spokesman reiterated the agency’s regret.

“In all honesty, there’s no room for that kind of conduct,” Shanahan said.

Sturdy could not be reached, but his lawyer said he had received the apologies.

“You take what you can get,” Palmer said.

The incident outraged Jorgenson, who brought it to the attention of Sen. Patti Anne Lodge, R-Nampa, who heads the Senate committee that oversees the agency. Jorgenson called for an investigation into the incident and the child welfare program in North Idaho.

On Wednesday, Jorgenson said he would pursue a more complete investigation into what he said were documented concerns about the agency raised by constituents. Jorgenson, who was traveling, declined to specify the problems.

Lodge, however, said that Britton responded promptly and properly to Geib’s inappropriate telephone message.

“People have bad days,” she said. “Does that excuse what he did? No. Does it explain it? I can’t say that. Does it teach us how we should respond when we’re having bad days? Yes, it teaches us something about that.”