Rylan Ott: Investigators find ‘significant failures and omissions occurring at critical decision points’

Feb. 23--CARTHAGE -- Law and policy were generally followed by the Moore County Department of Social Services, but "significant failures and omissions occurring at critical decision points" were found by three independent investigators probing the death of Rylan Ott.

The toddler drowned in a pond near Carthage while under DSS supervision April 14. He would have celebrated his second birthday May 2.

The investigators released a single-page summary that said caseload size and staff vacancies contributed significantly to the findings of omissions and errors.

"The cumulative effect of these omissions increase the probability to negative outcomes" for Rylan, the summary said.

County Attorney Misty Leland shared the summary following Wednesday's DSS Board of Directors meeting, one which included a nearly four-hour closed session to review the full investigative report.

The board adjourned shortly after the closed session with little discussion. Board members said they had not finished evaluating the report and would reconvene at 3 p.m. March 2. Another closed session is planned.

Leland said she expects the investigative team's full report will be released to the public after the board's review and any parts considered confidential are redacted.

The team's recommendations include "the need for additional social work staff, increased supervision, improved documentation practices, routine record monitoring and revised written policies."

Rylan entered the Moore County DSS system Oct. 25, 2015. On that day, Rylan's mother, Samantha Nacole Bryant, and her boyfriend got into a drunken fight involving alcohol and guns at her home near Carthage.

DSS placed Rylan and his older sister with temporary parents in a home on Fort Bragg. On Dec. 17, 2015, Moore County Judge Scott Etheridge ruled that DSS had demonstrated minimum safe standards had been met and ordered Rylan be returned to his mother. The toddler died four months later, after he wandered from his house and drowned in a pond about a half-mile away.

Pam Reed, a former volunteer for Guardian Ad Litem, and Rylan's kinship parents, Shane and Amanda Mills, say they tried to argue in court that Bryant remained unfit to be a mother.

They say a social worker never stepped foot into the Millses' home to watch the interaction between the children and Bryant.

As a Guardian Ad Litem, Reed was responsible for ensuring that Rylan and his older sister were safe. Since Rylan's death, Reed has appeared regularly in front of the DSS board to demand full disclosure of what went wrong.

Reed says Etheridge never got to hear the full story about Bryant's behavior because the DSS lawyer, Ward Medlin, kept cutting her and Shane Mills off. Reed says Bryant twice threatened to commit suicide after her children were taken from her.

Speaking before the board, Moore County resident J.D. Zumwalt said he has listened to an audio recording of the court hearing.

"Mr. Medlin shut them down," Zumwalt said. "It's indisputable."

Reed also spoke before the board.

"This organization failed Rylan Ott. I don't need the result of an independent investigation to confirm that," she said. "But what I do need, and what this community needs, is to know that someone will be held accountable for the decisions they made as to how Rylan's case was handled."

Reed spoke again after the board emerged from its closed-door meeting.

"You shouldn't have a legal team or a supervisor trump your boots-on-the-ground person when it comes to a toddler's welfare," Reed said.

John L. Benton, the DSS director, declined to comment after the meeting. He said he is bound by privacy laws from discussing the case.

The three investigators who made the report are Daniel Beerman, a retired child welfare director from Forsyth County; Laura Cockman, who used to be with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, and David Lambert, the town manager of Robbins.

Benton announced during the meeting that DSS has two additional social worker positions in its new budget.

He said social worker turnover has long been a problem for the county.

Rylan's mother remains in the Moore County jail, charged with felony child abuse and involuntary manslaughter.

Staff writer Greg Barnes can be reached at barnesg@fayobserver.com or 486-3525.

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