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Head of Texas agency that seized children to retire
By joshuah | June 27, 2008
Good news, from the Deseret News
The head of the Texas department that removed about 440 FLDS children from their homes has announced he is retiring.Carey Cockerell, the commissioner of the Department of Family and Protective Services, will retire Aug. 31. Cockerell and Child Protective Services, a branch of DFPS, have been strongly criticized for the April raid at the Fundamentalist LDS Church’s YFZ Ranch in Eldorado, Texas.
The 3rd Court of Appeals and later the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the children were improperly removed from their families and the children have since been returned. CPS officials say they’re continuing to investigate allegations of abuse and neglect at the ranch.
His retirement is not likely linked to the raid, however. On April 30, Cockerell presented a report on the FLDS case and his agency to a Senate committee in Austin. During that hearing, he indicated he was planning to retire soon.
In a news release, Cockerell said he’d been thinking about retirement since late last year. “I’ll soon be a grandfather, and I’m looking forward to a lot of quality time with my family after four decades of working in state and local programs,” he said.
Topics: Eldorado, FLDS, YFZ, polygamous sects |