Investigations Florida School for Boys

1 investigations

1.1 florida department of law enforcement, 2010
1.2 department of justice, 2011
1.3 university of south florida, 2012–2014

investigations
florida department of law enforcement, 2010

on december 9, 2008, florida governor charlie crist directed florida department of law enforcement investigate allegations of abuse, torture, , murder brought forward white house boys , law firm. crist requested department determine:

1) entity owned or operated property @ time graves placed, 2) identification, possible, of remains of individuals buried on site , 3) determine if crimes committed, , if so, perpetrators of crimes.

over 1 hundred interviews of former students, family members of former students, , former staff members of school conducted during 15-month investigation, produced no concrete evidence linking of student deaths (it determined thirty-one graves @ facility had been dug between 1914 , 1952) actions of school staff, or there had been attempts conceal deaths. none of graves opened during investigation.

a forensic examination of white house building conducted. no trace evidence of blood on walls found. former dozier students told investigators felt needed discipline. troy tidwell, staff member @ school @ time, said punishments in white house building not excessive , carried out leather strap because there concerns spankings wooden paddles might injure boys.

in january 2010, department of law enforcement released findings:

this investigation included on 1 hundred interviews of former students, family of former students, , former staff members of school. interviews confirmed in addition implementation of individual rating system, school administrators used corporal punishment tool encourage obedience. interviews revealed little disagreement way in corporal punishment administered. former students consistent in punishment administered school administrators , adult staff witnesses in building referred white house. former students consistent in stating wooden paddle or leather strap implement used administering punishment. area of disagreement amongst former students number of spankings administered , severity. although former students stated “beaten” point skin of buttocks blistered , bled profusely, there little no evidence of visible residual scarring. secondary disagreement former students’ perceptions of punishment process. former students stated spankings caused them no psychological harm , learned mistakes while others stated that, mentally, suffered result , still day.

some reports former students stated in addition corporal punishment, subjected sexual abuse @ hands of former staff members or other students. passage of on fifty years, no tangible physical evidence found either support or refute allegations of physical or sexual abuse.

on march 11, 2010, state attorney glenn hess announced no criminal charges filed in case. after interviewing investigators , attorneys representing both white house boys , administrator, , after reviewing department of law enforcement s report, hess concluded unable prove or disprove criminal wrongdoing in case in court of law.

department of justice, 2011

in december 2011 report of investigation @ dozier school, civil rights division of united states department of justice made following findings staff @ school, cited use of excessive force, inappropriate isolation, , extension of confinement:

the youth confined @ dozier , @ jjoc subjected conditions placed them @ serious risk of avoidable harm in violation of rights protected constitution of united states. during our investigation, received credible reports of misconduct staff members youth within custody. allegations revealed systemic, egregious, , dangerous practices exacerbated lack of accountability , controls. . . .

these systemic deficiencies exist because state policies , accepted juvenile justice procedures not being followed. found . . . staff did not receive minimally adequate training. found proper supervision , accountablity measures limited , did not suffice prevent undue restraints , punishments. staff failed report allegations of abuse state, supervisors, , administrators. staff members failed accurately describe use of force incidents , record use of mechanical restraints.

university of south florida, 2012–2014

erin kimmerle forensic anthropologist , university of south florida associate professor leading usf team of anthropologists, biologists, , archaeologists exploring marianna campus. stories of white house boys piqued interest. curious why there no records of died there buried. kimmerle commented, when @ state hospital, state prisons, other state institutions @ time, there meticulous plot maps can reference. or if family member today, can say, great-aunt buried? , can show where. so, why didn t happen here, don t know. stand out.

the team used ground-penetrating radar , excavations identify bodies buried. however, in order determine if cause of death injury, illness, or murder, bodies must exhumed, can done if family member requests it. december 2012, researchers indicated there 55 graves on grounds , second cemetery exist.

glen varnadoe s uncle thomas sent florida school boys in 1930s , died there month later. varnadoe wants exhume uncle burial @ family s cemetery near lakeland. during visit dozier school in 1990s, staff member showed him uncle might buried. location not same area recent graves found, , state limited usf team searching existing cemetery grounds. when state announced plans sell of dozier property, varnadoe filed suit , judge issued temporary injunction blocking sale until thomas varnadoe s body exhumed. state officials subsequently granted university team permission search areas of former facility possible burial sites , requested federal funds pay forensic examination of graves on grounds.

on august 6, 2013, governor rick scott , florida cabinet issued permit allowing university of south florida anthropologists , archaeologists excavate , examine remains of , boys buried @ dozier site. exhumations began on august 31; according associated press report:

robert straley, spokesman white house boys, said school segregated white , black inmates , remains located black inmates held. suspects there white cemetery hasn t been discovered. think there @ least 100 more bodies there , said. @ point going find more bodies, m dead of that. there has white graveyard on white side.

bones, teeth , artifacts grave sites sent university of north texas health science center dna testing. in january 2014, university of south florida announced excavations have yielded remains of 55 bodies, twice number official records there.

by september 26, 2014, remains of 3 boys, george owen smith (reported missing since 1940), thomas varnadoe (reportedly died of pneumonia in 1934) , earl wilson (died in 1944), had been identified.