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A state investigation shows One Way Farm Children’s Home did not violate medical emergency protocols when a teenage boy died of his injuries after he was beaten by another teenager in December at the group home.
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services released a report Thursday to the JournalNews that lists minor infractions for an outdated CPR training certificate and a missing medical screening for a resident, but no violations for how the Dec. 19 incident was handled.
Lance Tiernan, a former Lebanon High School student, is charged with murder in the death of Anthony Parker, a 16-year-old Fairfield High School student. Parker died Dec. 28 after more than a week on life support at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Tiernan, 17, will be tried as an adult in Butler County Common Pleas Court.
Agency spokesman Ben Johnson said the licensing arm of ODJFS only investigated to confirm that the Fairfield Twp. group home was compliant with licensing requirements and followed proper procedures regarding medical emergencies.
“Our specialists reviewed the agency’s policies for handling medical emergencies to ensure that agency staff followed protocols and procedures when dealing with the incident,” Johnson said. “We reviewed employee files and interviewed employees to see that the employees were trained on the agency’s policies and procedures for medical emergencies and we found no noncompliance issues.”
According to prosecutors and police, Parker and another boy were arguing over ownership of a flashlight when Tiernan apparently became tired of the bickering. Tiernan allegedly struck Parker in the head, then picked him up and slammed his head into the hard floor.
Three hours after the assault, staff at the group home found Parker unresponsive during a routine bed check. At the time of the incident, Tiernan had been a resident for less than a month at the group home and had no prior known history of violence, according to Warren County Children Services, which placed him.
An autopsy showed Parker’s cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, according to prosecutors.
Documents reviewed by the state showed an employee’s CPR certification was not up to date the day Parker was beaten, according to the report. Also, a medical screening for a resident was not completed. Documents show the agency was informed the child would not remain in their care, but by the time the decision was made to leave the youth at the home, the five-day medical screening time line had expired.
The employee in question has since completed recertification, but Johnson could not disclose whether the medical screening violation involved Tiernan, Parker or another resident. The corrective plan One Way Farm submitted has been approved, he said.
One Way Farm Children’s Home officials have declined comment about the incident, but previously stated Parker was up and talking and had eaten a sandwich following the incident and did not appear to be seriously injured.
The home’s attorney Dan Newman said they will not comment on the incident now or in the future.
Parker’s grandmother told the JournalNews she is considering filing a lawsuit against the home.
Butler County’s contract with One Way Farm expired at the end of the year and as yet has not been renewed, said county Children Services Director Jeff Centers.
At the time of the incident, three children from Butler County were at the facility. They were promptly removed and none have been placed since.
Centers said they will likely meet with One Way Farm officials to discuss what plans are in place to address the issues raised in the report, and that the county prosecutor’s office will also weigh in on any decision to renew the contract or place a child in the facility.
“We have asked for more information from the state,” Centers said.
Founded in 1976, One Way Farm has two homes on its campus for boys and girls, which can house 10 residents each.
Staff Writer Lauren Pack contributed to this report
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