Social safety net failed Cherokee baby
Additional evidence has surfaced indicating Swain County social workers failed to act on reports of alleged abuse and neglect of…
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New board and new director take reins at Swain DSS amidst SBI probe
The director of Swain County Department of Social Services has been put on leave with pay following a nearly clean…
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Swain DSS director fired, lodges appeal
Tammy Cagle, once the leader of the Swain County Department of Social Services, has been given the ax by the…
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Swain DSS ‘stretched thin’ prior to baby Aubrey’s death
Swain County social workers in charge of protecting children are paid less and handle more cases than those elsewhere in…
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Former Swain DSS director appeals firing but loses
The former head of Swain County’s Department of Social Services won’t be getting her job back, members of the county’s…
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Swain commissioner got DSS aid while niece was agency’s director
A county commissioner got financial aid from the Swain County Department of Services last year while his niece was serving…
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Interim director takes charge of Swain DSS amidst ongoing investigation
An interim director is now at the helm of the Swain County Department of Social Services, bringing to the table…
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Tribe asks Swain DSS to send different social workers
Swain County social workers and supervisors named in a State Bureau of Investigation probe are no longer welcome to work…
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Cherokee trust shaken in Swain DSS
Tribal members and leaders alike vented their discontent with Swain County’s handling of child welfare for Cherokee children at this…
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Crowd berates Swain commissioners, supports DSS board
A large crowd turned out at the Swain County commissioners meeting this week to voice support for the beleaguered Department…
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Swain commissioners want DSS workers suspended
The state could step in to run the Swain County Department of Social Services if the top leaders are among…
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Tribe, county DSS agencies have complex relationship
By Quintin Ellison and Colby Dunn • Staff writers The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is forced to rely on…
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The tragic life of Aubrey Littlejohn: Family members feared for child’s safety
Relatives say they warned social workers repeatedly over the course of several months that Aubrey Littlejohn was being neglected and…
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Child’s death hits Cherokee hard
The mood is grim. Few people in this tight community want to talk to an outsider about the death of…
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Swain DSS investigated for cover-up in child’s death
The Swain County Department of Social Services falsified records relating to the abuse and neglect of a 15-month-old baby who…
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Suspicious death of 15-month-old prompts SBI to seize Swain DSS computers
The State Bureau of Investigation raided Swain County Department of Social Services Tuesday, hauling off computers and records in an…
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