Las Cruces Community Radio 101.5 FM
  • Home
  • Donate
  • Listen
    • Archives
  • Schedule
    • Programs
  • Underwrite
  • Merch
  • About Us
  • Events
  • Contact Us

Walt Rubel Commentary: CYFD must stop skirting transparency laws

10/26/2023

 
In 2021, two employees of the state’s Children Youth and Families Department revealed that it was using a secure text messaging app that automatically deleted all of their messages, in clear violation of the state’s public records law.

Then-CYFD Secretary Brian Blaylock responded by firing the employees, Clifford and Debra Gilmore, while defending the app as being necessary to protect the privacy of children in the CYFD system.
​

​Since then, the state has paid a $650,000 settlement to the Gilmores for damages and back pay, Blaylock stepped down and the Attorney General’s Office has started an investigation into use of the app, which was also used by officials in the Governor’s Office.

CYFD has stopped using the app, but its officials are still using the same excuse to violate the public records law.

A recent report by the Legislative Finance Committee, which is responsible for tracking and accounting for all state appropriations, found that state money being paid in out-of-court settlements is not being reported on the Sunshine Portal, which allows state residents to see how our tax money is being spent.

More than $3 million went unreported just last year, involving some of the most costly settlements, including $1.5 million paid in 2022 in the case of a brother and sister who had suffered severe abuse while in foster care and $985,000 paid to two brothers who were allegedly sexually abused while in foster care.

Once again, CYFD officials say those settlements are being kept private to protect the children.

While reporting to the Sunshine Portal is voluntary, settlements of more than $1,000 must be reported to the state’s Risk Management Division. Those reports ended in 2019.

There are 22 different cabinet-level departments serving the governor, covering everything from fishing to information technology. None of them have a more difficult or important mission than the Children, Youth and Families Department.

The level of childhood abuse and neglect in New Mexico is shameful. CYFD investigates about 39,000 reports of abuse and neglect each year, according to a department report. Typically, between 5,000 to 9,000 reports are substantiated each year.  

There are about 2,500 children in the state’s foster care system. About a quarter of them were taken into the system after having been victims of abuse or neglect. Far too often, those cases have resulted in death. There were 63 children who died at the hands of their abusers in the years 2016 to 2020, according to federal statistics.

CYFD leaders under both Democratic and Republican governors have struggled to adequately address the problem. But the solution is not to hide those challenges from the public.

Yes, of course, personal information about children in the system must be protected. But that can be accomplished without ignoring state laws on government transparency. 



Walter Rubel can be reached at [email protected].
Listen to the audio version

Comments are closed.

    Shows

    All
    All About Books
    Cafe Con Leche
    Commentaries
    Coronavirus Update
    Delving In
    Earth Matters
    Eye On Government
    Just Community
    Live From The Market
    Live True
    Mesilla Valley Sports Show
    Speak Up Las Cruces
    Special Broadcasts
    Take On Faith
    The Sunday Show
    Think Again
    This Week In Las Cruces

    Music Shows

    You can find a two-week archive of all of our music shows and nearly every other one of our shows by going to our Schedule page.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    May 2018

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly