Founder Of Home Used To Help Children Has Alarming Past
WBNS 10-TV, March 15 2007.
The state said it is unlikely they will revoke a license to a company that provides homes for foster children even though its founder has a criminal past.
Last week the state gave Phoenix Homes Inc. a license to operate in Ohio, 10TV's Penny Moore reported. It is located in Delphos, in Allen County.
According to its corporate filings with the Ohio Secretary of State's office, Bruce Maag is the president of Phoenix's parent company, International Phoenix Group, which already operates foster homes in four other states.
Bruce Maag founded and ran a private foster care agency, Specialized Alternatives For Youth in Allen County from 1983 to 1999 until an ugly scandal that led to a criminal conviction. The scandal was exposed by the Dayton Daily News, Moore reported.
Maag not only ran the agency but was a foster parent to a 16-year-old girl.
10TV obtained documents from the files of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. There were notes that a SAFY caseworker was told there had been sexual contact between Maag and the girl.
Since the girl was from Logan County, a children services caseworker there questioned Maag and told the state that he admitted drinking beer and the girl rubbed his back. He rubbed her back and they kissed. The caseworker added that agency files on the incident conclude that more than back rubbing was involved.
Then, a letter from SAFY's board to the state said that Maag was served with a summons to appear in juvenile court on misdemeanor charges. The state began an investigation, Moore reported.
Maag and his wife resigned as foster parents.
The Dayton newspaper investigation revealed that Maag was charged with one count of abuse and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor for giving alcohol to the girl and a friend. He pleaded guilty only to the count involving the friend, Moore reported.
10TV obtained an order from an Allen County judge showing the conviction was sealed. It was expunged by the judge a year later with an order the case be "deemed never to have occurred."
The documents proved that the state knew about Maag's history, Moore reported.
When 10 Investigates attempted to talk with Maag, Isaac Palmer, the company's chief executive officer, said that 10TV did not know the truth about Maag's criminal past.
Moore: "Who can tell us the truth about the incident? Obviously you know about the incident."
Palmer: "Yes. Look, I'm not talking here. You can cut that off and I know how you're (going to) make me look silly on the news."
Moore: "I would like to not make you look silly if you'd talk to me."
Palmer: "I'm not talking to you (because) its not relevant to what we're doing here in Ohio. It's not relevant."
It was not relevant because Maag's name is nowhere on the application for a license to place foster children in Ohio.
"Bruce Maag is not technically, for our licensing purposes - he is not involved with the day-to-day operation with any of the Ohio business," said Dennis Evans of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Evans said the state had no legal right to deny Phoenix's license.
Phoenix can now train foster parents and place children in Ohio if county agencies want to use them.
John Holtkamp, who is the director of Logan County Children Services, where the incident involving the 16-year-old girl was investigated, said he is not sure what he would do.
"I would certainly have concerns about this organization," Holtkamp said. "There would be red flags. It would require an exercise in due diligence to examine the organization and any issues in regard to its history and the individuals involved."
10 Investigates attempted to talk to Maag at his Allen County home but received no response. If the Department of Job and Family Services receives a complaint that Maag is involved in the state, there will be an investigation because Phoenix applied for its license without Maag, Moore reported.
Since Maag's criminal record was expunged, the state said it is still unlikely that the license would be revoked.
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