A former child placement agency is in sizzling water over its paying of each foster households and workers. Former employees are claiming they’re owed 1000’s of bucks in unpaid wages.
“It was very upsetting to see that world be shattered, to see somebody take advantage of people like this,” a former worker of Lonestar Social Services stated.
“It is like a slap in the face or a punch in the gut. It’s just not fair,” every other former worker added.
Both former workers agreed to proportion their tales about Lonestar Social Services at the situation of anonymity.
According to Texas Health and Human Services, the child placement agency gained its license in 2014.
She labored as a caseworker for Lonestar.
“I still feel that drive to help families and especially with children,” she stated.
He was once a director for the corporate.
“It’s meaningful for me because I was a foster child as well,” he shared when requested why the paintings was once so significant.
Both discovered new jobs after Lonestar introduced plans to near its doorways by means of the tip of May.
Owners Jason Fulton and James Mercer despatched a letter to their workers on April twenty fifth.
The letter says partly, “Lonestar Social Services, LLC. is terminating its contract with the Department of Family and Protective Services to provide foster care services.”
According to DFPS, that’s now not the way it took place.
Five days earlier than Mercer and Fulton despatched their letter to workers, DFPS despatched Lonestar’s CEO a letter finishing its contract.
The DFPS letter cites a number of causes for terminating Lonestar’s contract, together with financial irregularities.
“There were a few families that didn’t get paid,” the previous caseworker stated.
Meanwhile, Texas HHS issued an intent to revoke Lonestar’s license in June, mentioning falsification, unmarried severe deficiencies, endangering eventualities, and failure to right kind deficiencies.
In an electronic mail, an HHS consultant wrote, “Lonestar Social Services relinquished their license on June 15, 2023.”
The former caseworker says problems in paying foster households prolonged way back to November ultimate yr. She says a number of workers’ assessments have been past due by means of February, together with her personal.
Eventually, they stopped being paid altogether.
“When was the last time you were paid from Lone Star Social Services?” Investigates reporter Leigh Waldman requested.
“In April. April 20th,” the caseworker responded.
“How much money do they owe you at this point?” Waldman requested.
“It would be over $6,000,” she responded.
“I did a calculation. I am owed about $10,500,” the previous director stated when requested what he was once owed. “It’s very upsetting to have, you know, eviction notices or, you know, late payments. I have my lights shut off for one day because I couldn’t find the money to pay.”
According to the Texas Workforce Commission, 47 unpaid salary claims had been filed in opposition to Lonestar Social Services within the ultimate six months, totaling $206,002.
Investigates was once given audio from Lonestar’s ultimate group of workers assembly on May 19.
“Y’all are going to get your paychecks,” a girl’s voice may also be heard pronouncing.
Several former workers who attended this assembly say the girl talking is Tiffany Verette, the state director for Lonestar.
“That is the utmost importance to me, currently, is making sure that staff receives their paychecks. I just am afraid it may be a couple of days late,” Verette may also be heard pronouncing.
Three months later, that cash nonetheless has now not come.
Verette had no authentic remark to proportion concerning the unpaid wages.
According to emails shared with from this spring, govt director Fulton wrote to his workers that they’re “working on a solution to get payroll sent out.”
He blamed the lengthen on DFPS, explaining that they depend on management charges to pay payroll and different prices.
But another time, that doesn’t align with the narrative from DFPS.
Its consultant despatched an electronic mail explaining that according to Lonestar’s contract, the child placement agency was once required to take care of 3 months of running charges, and the ones charges might be used to pay workers.
The responsibility to pay them “is the sole responsibility of Lonestar as the employer.”
“If they are doing this maliciously, they haven’t broken our spirits. You know us as Lonestar employees. They haven’t broken our spirits,” the previous director stated.
With the entire from side to side and converting narratives, Investigates sought after solutions from Mercer and Fulton immediately.
Investigates reporter Leigh Waldman despatched emails and were given a reaction again from their attorney pronouncing no remark.
A take a look at of public data displays Dr. James Mercer and Dr. Jason Fulton are attached to 21 companies below the Fulton Mercer Corporation.
On July 28, the corporate was once dissolved as a result of tax forfeiture.
Further digging discovered a number of liens filed in opposition to each males for houses they personal, and in August, the pair filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy for the Fulton Mercer Corporation.
With no success getting solutions by the use of electronic mail, we noticed a posting on-line for a back-to-school tournament at certainly one of Mercer and Fulton’s companies — Heritage Funeral Home in Lampasas.
“Can I help y’all?” a girl requested, strolling outdoor the funeral house.
Waldman defined who our team was once and what they have been doing.
The lady defined she was once there to talk on behalf of Mercer. She stated no when requested if she was once affiliated with Lonestar Social Services.
“We’re with Heritage Funeral Home,” she stated.
“Right, and we are here to speak with him about Lonestar Social Services,” Waldman responded.
“He won’t talk to y’all about that today,” she stated.
“OK, we’re just gonna wait on him whenever he comes out,” Waldman stated.
“He won’t be out today to talk to y’all about that,” she stated once more.
It seems the girl wasn’t being truthful.
A January Lonestar publication identifies the girl, Jeanie Smith, as a part of its neighborhood members of the family division.
It didn’t take lengthy for Smith to name Lampasas Police Department.
“I can’t make you get off public property. I’m not even going to try. I do know that Dr. Mercer said that he’s not gonna comment, so I asked him if I could express that to y’all so that you would at least know, and he said I can,” the officer instructed Waldman.
That wasn’t the one time our team heard no remark. Mercer’s legal professional, Norman Ladd, referred to as, sharing the similar sentiment.
“The answer will always be no comment,” Ladd stated.
Waldman requested what Mercer and Fulton needed to say to their workers now not getting paid, and Ladd’s solution was once the similar.
Our team waited outdoor the funeral house for 3 hours, nonetheless no nearer to listening to from Mercer or Fulton concerning the allegations in opposition to them.
The converting tales and roadblocks didn’t deter Lonestar’s former workers from preventing for his or her unpaid wages.
“When I fell, I hit the ground pretty hard, but I grabbed rocks when I got back up and, you know. I’m going to throw those stones as far as I can. And let’s see if something hits,” the previous director stated.
“We have to speak up, and we have to keep fighting,” the previous caseworker added.
While the previous workers we spoke to have filed legal lawsuits with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office for salary robbery, Mercer and Fulton have now not been charged with any crimes.
Waldman requested DFPS what number of foster households have been impacted by means of past due or bills that by no means got here. They stated by the use of electronic mail they didn’t must free up that information and shared it can be part of the Office of the Inspector General’s investigation.
Per the OIG’s coverage, it “cannot confirm or deny the existence of a specific investigation.”
Find extra Investigates stories right here
Copyright 2023 by means of – All rights reserved.
]