Disciplinary action has been recommended for Butler County Children Services employees who failed to respond to allegations before a 12-year-old girl was found locked in a Middletown basement allegedly by her parents, according to an ombudsman report.

County Children Services Director Jeff Centers said the case is a failure by his agency and they will now focus on honing the skills of those investigating complaints.

“I am not going to sugar coat it, we could have done better and the public expects us to do better,” Centers said. “This family fell through the cracks.”

Last month, an anonymous complaint of abuse led Butler County Children Services to investigate Shawn Blackston, 40, and Joanna Blackston, 36.

After children services staff members saw the “deplorable living conditions,” Middletown police were notified and the children were removed from the home that day. The six children who lived in the Philadelphia home — ages 15, 14, 12, 9, 3 and 2 — are in foster care.

Charges of kidnapping and felony child endangering were filed against Shawn and Joanna Blackston on July 6 when they were found and arrested in a Sharonville motel.

The girl, a sixth-grader in the Middletown City Schools District, had been allegedly locked in the basement since June 18, about a month after her last day of school. There were several locks on the door that led to the basement, according to police.

There was only a mattress in the unfinished basement, and the glass block windows were covered by sheets or wood, eliminating light from coming inside according to police. One light bulb hung from the ceiling.

There was no bathroom in the basement, so the girl was let out of the basement when she needed to use the restroom.

The agency already had an open case with the Blackston family and had conducted home visits at the residence before July. Monroe attorney Randy Turner, guardian ad litem for a 15-year-old sister, said there were a number of red flags that something was wrong at the Blackston home. He said his ward was punished once by being made to watch the other children open Christmas presents when she had not been given any, and she was also punished by being placed in the basement.

In February, Turner asked the court to order Butler County Children Services to investigate the home. He said the agency didn’t find anything wrong with the home.

Bill Morrison, children services ombudsman who investigated the case after the 12-year-old was found, said in his report obtained by this newspaper Friday “it is a crime to lock children in their rooms. Every BCCS case worker in every home visit should be looking for reversed door locks (to prevent exit rather than entry) and demand the locks be changed or removed before leaving the residence. They should call law enforcement to accomplish this purpose.”

He said “a case where parents say the problem is out of control teenagers and children claim unfair or abusive parents is a common case for child welfare. It is the agency’s challenge to discern the truth. In many cases this is difficult to determine. It is the agency’s mission to protect children, and the agency should believe children, absent significant evidence to the contrary.”

Morrision, an employee of the county commission, recommended BCCS staff attend mandatory training regarding appropriate and inappropriate use of punishment by parents focusing on the agency’s role in protecting children from abuse, the agency change its policy for a case worker who disagrees with a decision to close a case to include protection from covert or overt retaliation and review procedures for decision-making by screeners, screening coordinator and intake director regarding the processing of multiple allegations.

Five BCCS employees were placed on administrative leave after the incident. The employees placed on leave are caseworkers Alicia Green and Serina Knight; supervisors Tricia Kelly and Mike Brock; and Julie Gilbert, intake director, according to Centers.

Green, Knight and Kelly have returned to work and there was no disciplinary action taken.

Centers said BCCS has conducted an administrative investigation and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is also investigating. Those reports have not yet been released.

Commissioner Cindy Carpenter said in an email statement Friday, “The people of Butler County have been generous with their support of children services. It is time to give them what they pay four. It’s time to reorganize and reform. The welfare of our children depends on it.”

Centers said the agency’s human resources department is still conducting interviews to determine any type of disciplinary action.

Joanna Blackston and Shawn Blackston’s cases have been bound over to a Butler County grand jury for consideration. Joanna Blackston is out of jail on bond. Shawn Blackston, whose bail is also $25,000, remains in the Butler County Jail.