Butler Co. Children Services director forced to resign

Children Services director resigns
Brooks-Higgin, Candice. Cincinnati Post, Feb. 17, 2007, pg. A3.

The executive director of Butler County Children Services Board announced her resignation Friday night amid a whirlwind of criticism of the agency's handling of the case of Marcus Fiesel, the 3-year-old who died in foster care.

Jann Heffner, hired in 2002 at the bidding of Commissioner Michael Fox and then-Board Chairman Hall Thompson, said she's resigning effective April 15 now that she said the very people who recruited her want to see her out. "I'm a target," Heffner said. "You can't afford to have distractions when you are trying to keep kids safe."

She said Marcus' death has been used as a "political weapon" and she and her staff have had to spend thousands of hours reacting to insinuations, repetitive inquires and continued criticism.

With a children services levy on the November ballot, Heffner said she doesn't want to be a distraction from moving the agency's agenda forward and placing focus back on the safety of children and families.

The announcement followed a two-hour executive session of the agency's eight-member board for what was described as "personnel matters." But Heffner, who earns $125,000 annually, said the decision was hers and she had the support of the board members had she decided to stay.

Board Chairman the Rev. Johnny Wade Sloan said Heffner resigned because "she is dedicated to focusing the community's energy toward improving services to children and families."

However, county Commission President Gregory Jolivette questioned the timing and whether the board rushed Heffner out to save their own positions -- before a county commission-appointed task force could recommend they be removed.

"I believe that the board had a role in this and that bothers me," he said. "There's other things happening behind the scenes that are being played out that would make that statement (that Heffner resigned on her own) not accurate."