State official calls autistic man's death 'totally avoidable'

The state official whose agency regulates the Bucks County facility where a severely autistic man died in a sweltering van called the death "totally avoidable" and said his staff had accelerated its investigation into the case.

Richard Gold, deputy secretary for the Office of Children, Youth and Families, said inspectors had been at Woods Services' campus in Langhorne almost every day since Bryan Nevins' death on July 24.

In an interview Wednesday, Gold said his office expected to release preliminary findings this week. He declined to elaborate, but was blunt in his assessment.

"In my opinion," Gold said, "this was a totally avoidable tragedy."

Cheryl Kauffman, a spokeswoman for Woods, said Wednesday that the organization was "fully cooperating" with inspectors but did not elaborate.

Bucks County prosecutors on Tuesday charged a counselor at the facility with felony neglect of a care-dependent person and other counts.

They said Stacey Strauss of Philadelphia was responsible for Nevins when she and another counselor escorted him and three other Woods clients to and from Sesame Place that Saturday.

According to a probable-cause affidavit, Nevins, whose parents say he had the mental ability of a toddler, was left in the back of the van after it returned to the campus around 12:30 p.m.

Nearly five hours passed before staff realized he was missing. They found his body across the backseat of the van, his arms folded.

Authorities say Nevins probably died within an hour from sitting in the torrid heat.

Through her attorney, Strauss has denied any wrongdoing, portraying the death as a tragic accident. She was released from the Bucks County prison late Tuesday after posting $50,000 bail.

Woods, which serves more than 1,400 adults and children with disabilities, holds multiple licenses and is monitored by the Offices of Children, Youth and Families and of Developmental Programs, both part of the state Department of Public Welfare. Both offices are coordinating the investigation, Gold said.

Ultimately, Gold said, "the license is at stake."

State inspectors' goal is to determine if Nevins' death amounted to abuse and, if so, who is to blame.

According to the deputy secretary, that means identifying which staffers were responsible for tracking and verifying care for patients like Nevins.

For instance, state code mandates that staffers conduct "observational checks" of children in residential and day treatment facilities at least every hour.

"If we believe there are people whose responsibility is to care for these vulnerable children who aren't performing their [duties], then we have a responsibility to act," Gold said.

Officials also will review records to see if the facility meets state staffing and training requirements, he said.

Contact staff writer John P. Martin at 610-313-8120 or jmartin@phillynews.com.

Inquirer staff writer Larry King contributed to this article.