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Maggie and Darryl Hoffman of Hampden, Lisa Wesel and Todd Woofenden of Bowdoinham, and Dixie and Rick Redmond of Hampden are the parents of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
We are the parents of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are awaiting the comprehensive services offered at homes like Lee Residential Care, where two men were allegedly sodomized and tortured over a three-year period, according to court documents. It is an understatement to say what happened there is our worst nightmare.
The victims are nonverbal, but that does not mean they cannot communicate. One of the men communicated through changes in his behavior that something was very wrong, but only his mother heard him. She saw the shift in her son’s demeanor, and she tried to make others see it — she tried to be her son’s voice — but no one listened.
The minuscule drip of public information in this case from the state Department of Health and Human Services and provider agencies charged with guaranteeing disabled individuals’ health and safety is maddening. As they remain silent, our list of unanswered questions grows:
Were all families/guardians of people served by Lee Residential Care homes informed of the abuse in real time? Were they contacted and questioned during the police investigation? Were they asked to testify, or to provide victim impact statements?
According to court documents, one victim was waterboarded and sodomized. One abuser pleaded guilty to “intentionally endangering the welfare of a dependent person.” Three other men have been charged with the same crime, one of whom will also be charged with assault. None has been charged with rape. Why not? Does that mean that they will avoid being listed on the sex offender registry, as they most certainly should be?
As one mother so heartbreakingly pointed out, the men endured being tortured for longer than their abuser who pleaded guilty will spend in jail. Two and half years in jail for three years of torture. She said she agreed to the plea bargain only because no one had told her the extent of the abuse. Would such a light sentence be offered if the victims had been children, senior citizens or neurotypical young adults? Do disabled bodies have less value?
Will the remaining accused be gifted with the same leniency?
Where was the leadership of Lee Residential? How did they not know there was a problem? How often were they on site? It has been reported that other employees knew of the abuse but did not dare speak up. Why? Everyone working in a group home is a mandated reporter. Will those who ignored the abuse be prosecuted?
Most importantly, we have heard nothing about the urgent need for trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate therapy for those affected, and whether such professionals are even practicing in Maine. How the survivors are treated now is vitally important to their future mental health.
Perhaps most pressing for the thousands of disabled Mainers — whose lives depend on the competence of the governor, her Department of Health and Human Services, her Office of MaineCare Services, DHHS’s Office of Aging and Disability Services and their downstream provider agencies — is the question of accountability.
The Maine Developmental Services Oversight and Advisory Board was created to provide independent oversight of DHHS-funded programs and services for adults with intellectual disabilities or autism. Yet Gov. Janet Mills and Gov. Paul LePage before her have hobbled its ability to function by failing for at least 11 years to appoint enough people to fill the board. The board is legally required to have 15 members; it currently has only five.Why?
Who will take responsibility for this epic failure in Hampden? Legislators? The governor? DHHS? OADS? What assurances can they give that this won’t happen again?
What systemic changes will be made to ensure the health and safety of all disabled Mainers? Will guardians and family members, whose involvement is critical to represent the people who cannot speak for themselves, be actively involved in the policymaking — not just in “listening sessions,” but with a permanent seat at the table?
The state must stop hiding behind the frequent rationale that an ongoing investigation prevents them from answering those questions, the questions only they are supposedly qualified to answer.
