Social worker fired in aftermath of Lexie Glover case

A Prince William County Social Services employee was fired and two others were disciplined this week in the aftermath of the Alexis “Lexie” Glover investigation, according to department director Jack Ledden.

On Jan. 9, the 13-year-old was found dead in a creek in Woodbridge —– two days after she was reported missing. Police say she was dumped in the creek alive, and died of exposure and drowning.

Her adoptive mother Alfreedia Gregg-Glover was ultimately charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, felony child abuse and filing a false police report.

The Virginia Department of Social Services launched an investigation into the matter, as did Prince William County Social Services. The state is also conducting a quality management review of the county department as a whole and their findings should be made public within a week or two, said Ledden.

“We’re not interested in meeting standards, we want to exceed them,” Ledden said.

Ledden wouldn’t say what mistakes the employees made in the case. The social worker fired and the disciplined employees were not identified.

But Ledden said policy changes will soon be implemented in the department. There were multiple reports of neglect and abuse recorded by county social services in regards to the Lexie case, but the girl was never taken away from Gregg-Glover.

Changes Ledden has suggested include creating special badges for Child Protective Services employees, fast tracking a case to a new supervisor if it involves three or more complaints regardless of their validity and installing an on-board computer and tracking program to companyvehicles for employees to take home each night for instant case information.

Having that information at one’s fingertips could be crucial when a CPS employee has to make a house visit in the middle of the night, said Ledden.

“I can get on my system in my car, type in where I am going and it may give me background information,” Ledden said. “[It may tell me] we [social services] have had two calls, one was founded, one was unfounded. It may tell me how old the child is, how many people were involved the last time. It’s giving them an idea what you are going to deal with. CPS can be very dangerous for workers.”

Social Services will also be adding two more CPS employees for the new fiscal year. Currently, CPS has 10 investigators and ideally would have 17 at some point down the road, said Social Services Acting Chief of Services Kay Taylor.

During this fiscal year, there have been more than 1,800 calls regarding possible abuse or neglect that were deemed valid.

“We do need more resources,” Taylor said.

In addition, Ledden said there are plans to improve communication with the police department. Many times during home visits, investigators will meet police at the station before visiting the subject’s home.

Ledden said not only have the demographics and technology changed dramatically in recent years but the nature of abuse and neglect cases have become more complex thanks to multiple agencies seeing and diagnosing the child.

Those diagnoses often come from doctors, schools, hospitals and even private, in-home counseling, said Ledden.

“Children are coming in with multiple diagnoses, everything from post traumatic stress disorder ... to psychosis...and it makes it a little bit difficult to manage,” Ledden said.

Lexie had been diagnosed with severe autism and sickle cell anemia and had a GPS tracker through a Prince William Sheriff’s Office program aimed at helping find children who frequently run away.

Her mother will stand trial July 6 through July 8.

Staff writer Kipp Hanley can be reached at 703-878-8062.