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Teens pulled from VA program

It's the latest fallout from a controversy after reports of Bay Pines VA Medical Center employing sex offenders.

By PAUL DE LA GARZA
Published June 9, 2006

VA told to give data on staff (6/3)

ST. PETERSBURG - Nine teen-agers have been removed from a volunteer program at the Bay Pines VA Medical Center because the hospital employs convicted sex offenders.

The Division of Blind Services of the Florida department of education removed the students from the summer program after consulting with their parents.

District administrator Lynn Ritter said officials wanted parents to decide what to do after the St. Petersburg Times last week revealed the hospital employs convicted sex offenders.

"It wasn't a big panic - they've got sex offenders, we have to pull them out," Ritter said Thursday. "It was just the timing of the articles, and the program starting wasn't the best."

Ritter said it would consider placing students in the summer program next year.

The summer youth program at Bay Pines, which began last week, involves 171 middle school and high school students from across Pinellas. The Department of Veterans Affairs said no other student had been pulled from the program.

The VA said Bay Pines employs more than one convicted sex offender but refused to elaborate.

A congressional panel has requested data on all sex offenders employed by the agency.

On Thursday, hospital director Wallace Hopkins sent a letter to the parents of the student volunteers, alerting them to the Times articles.

Hopkins said staff members make every effort to provide a safe environment for student volunteers, and that they are closely monitored.

He also said Bay Pines is a federal building that must be open to the public.

"Eligible veterans are entitled to services offered by VA, even if they have had problematic incidents in their past, unless the law specifically disqualifies them," Hopkins wrote. "Our job is to provide veterans care and to protect our employees, patients and volunteers as that care is provided."

Among the convicted sex offenders employed by the VA are veterans who have undergone intensive treatment.

"Their suitability for work assignments has been deliberated by clinicians and front-line supervisors, and a determination has been made that the employees work assignments are appropriate given their backgrounds," the VA said.

To better inform volunteers, parents and guardians, Hopkins said, Bay Pines will modify volunteer applications to include the following statement:

"This VA is open to the public and as such, I am aware that during my daily assignments I may be in contact with or in close proximity to individuals from the community with a wide range of backgrounds. If a patient, staff member, volunteer or visitor is abusive, makes inappropriate gestures, advances or conversation, or otherwise makes me feel uncomfortable, I will immediately inform my supervisor or a VA Voluntary Service VAVS staff member."

Anybody with questions should call the VA Voluntary Service Office at 727-398-9394.

On Wednesday, hospital administrators placed a Bay Pines employee on administrative leave after his arrest last month on charges of having sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl.

Javier Morales, 36, of St. Petersburg, met the girl in Madeira Beach while fishing with his teenage son, according to Pinellas Park police. He had sex with the teenager on two occasions, police said.

In a brief interview with the Times, Morales, who works as an assistant in the engineering administrative office, said he was innocent.

In a statement, the VA said a background check of Morales did not reveal any indications of similar offenses. "There are no youth volunteers assigned to the area in which he works," the VA said.

Paul de la Garza can be reached at delagarza@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3432.

[Last modified June 9, 2006, 05:29:55]