Judge Says Girl, 7, Was Raped, Lifts License of Foster Home

The foster home license of a Whittier couple has been revoked by an administrative law judge who ruled that the foster father had sexual intercourse with a 7-year-old girl in the home and that the foster mother was aware of the molestation, the state Department of Social Services said Friday.

The case of the Steve and Becky Brown foster home, which was closed this spring, is one more symptom of the troubles in Los Angeles County’s children’s services system, according to Lawrence Bolton, assistant chief counsel with the state agency.

No criminal charges have been filed against the Browns and the couple insist that they are innocent. Becky Brown refused to comment Thursday on the revocation of the couple’s license.

The announced ruling in the Brown case followed Thursday’s resignation of Robert L. Chaffee, director of the Los Angeles County Department for Children’s Services.

Chaffee stepped down from his post amid mounting criticism of his agency, pressure from the County Board of Supervisors and disclosures that top department officials ignored warnings of their investigators about the alleged physical and sexual abuse of foster children.

Bolton said that in the Brown case, Children’s Services officials delayed an investigation into a molestation complaint for two months last spring before he prevailed on them to look into the matter.

However, Children’s Services workers involved in the investigation maintained that the case was handled properly.

Four sisters had been removed from the Brown home in February, 1989, after medical examinations indicated that three of them had been sexually molested. Both the Browns and the family of the children were suspected, but no one was charged and the Browns continued to operate their foster home.

Social worker Deborah Laurita, who has since resigned from the department, said she became convinced that one of the children, then 7, implicated Steve Brown, but that Children’s Services officials refused to conduct a further investigation.

Laurita noted in her departmental log on April 24, 1989, that her request for an investigation into the youngster’s allegation of abuse was refused.

“I called Marcia Trowbridge (a supervisor in the foster home investigative unit),” wrote Laurita, “and explained the allegations about the molest and Ms. Trowbridge told me that this case goes so high up that she would not investigate. I argued that the allegations were pretty serious since there were still two kids there (in the Brown home), but she still refused to investigate.”

Trowbridge on Friday denied making such comments to Laurita.

“I did not say that to her,” Trowbridge told The Times. “We investigated that case very thoroughly.” Another source familiar with the investigation also said the case was handled properly and there was no interference from superiors.

When the investigation ordered by Bolton was finally conducted, officials said they found no justification for closing the Browns’ home. But county social workers continued to be suspicious of Steve Brown and recommended that the sisters who were removed from the home last year be placed with their relatives. Over the objections of social workers, however, a juvenile court judge made the Browns guardians of one of the girls, a 3-year-old. That child has been removed from the couple’s home but the Browns are seeking to regain guardianship.

The Browns’ foster home was closed this spring based on medical evidence and new statements by the 7-year-old sister, who is now 8.

The Browns agreed to give up their foster care license but state officials say the agreement was never signed. At that point, the state asked an administrative law judge to revoke the license and a hearing was held earlier this month. The Browns did not attend or refute the evidence of molestation that was presented.

Chaffee was not accepting news media calls Friday.

Meanwhile, his resignation--although lauded by child advocates who have been saying for weeks that a change of leadership was needed--has left the department under a cloud of uncertainty.

There are questions about whether other top officials may resign, whether an interim director can be brought in quickly or if Chaffee will remain through the fall, and what effect the shake-up will have on the state’s attempt to take over the county’s $457-million child welfare services system. The supervisors are expected to discuss these issues Tuesday.

At least one supervisor, Mike Antonovich, has called for a “top to bottom” reorganization of the agency, including the removal of Chaffee’s “top lieutenants.” On Friday, children’s services workers said they were wondering who will be next to leave.

“Things are very up in the air,” said Patti Kamoto, a licensing worker in the department. “Maybe people sensed it was coming for the last few months but I think that people are wondering who else is going to be involved in this and what’s really going to happen from here on out.”

“People are basically relieved,” said Penny Steinberg, a supervising social worker in the agency’s West Los Angeles office. She said workers were “demoralized” and had lost faith in their superiors.

While Chaffee has pledged to stay until Oct. 31, Supervisor Ed Edelman intends to press for an immediate replacement. If Chaffee’s deputies also resign, that could leave the department without an experienced in-house manager to replace him until a successor is found.