Journalist loses her job after reporting about abuse allegations in West Virginia’s foster care and psychiatric facilities

A West Virginia journalist misplaced her job final month after she reported about alleged abuse of individuals with disabilities inside the state company that runs West Virginia’s foster care and psychiatric services.

Amelia Ferrell Knisely, a reporter at West Virginia Public Broadcasting, stated she was informed to cease reporting on the Division of Well being and Human Assets after leaders of the embattled company “threatened to discredit” the publicly funded tv and radio community. She later realized her part-time place was being eradicated.

“I used to be let go from my job at WVPB final week following threats from DHHR about my reporting on DHHR’s therapy of individuals with disabilities,” Knisely wrote on Twitter Dec. 28.

In an announcement, Knisely stated her information director informed her the order got here from WVPB Government Director Butch Antolini, former communications director for Republican Gov. Jim Justice. Antolini has served as government director since 2021, when his predecessor was ousted after Justice overhauled the company’s governing board.

Justice has tried unsuccessfully to remove state funding for WVPB prior to now and was accused of appointing partisan operatives to the board. WVPB receives round $4 million a 12 months in state funding.

Antolini declined to remark, however different officers denied any effort to affect protection. West Virginia Academic Broadcasting Authority chairman William H. File III stated Antolini informed the board “he was not coerced or pressured by anybody.”

File stated in an announcement that Knisely was by no means fired and stays on the WVPB payroll, although she stated her door key and e-mail had been deactivated.

Knisely’s departure comes throughout a tumultuous time for West Virginia media. Days earlier than she left WVPB, three reporters for the Pulitzer Prize-winning Charleston Gazette-Mail stated they had been fired after publicly criticizing an editorial resolution by their firm president Doug Skaff, who’s minority chief within the state Home of Delegates. Skaff accepted and led a video interview with Don Blankenship, a coal firm government convicted of security violations related to one of many worst coal mining disasters in current U.S. historical past.

The departures go away a diminished capitol press corps to cowl the upcoming legislative session, which begins Jan. 11.

Knisely’s tales detailed alleged mistreatment of individuals with disabilities below state care. The division cares for a number of the most weak residents in one of many poorest U.S. states.

Current knowledge present that about each six days an individual with an mental and developmental incapacity is locked in a police cruiser and dedicated to a West Virginia psychiatric hospital, in response to the advocacy group Disability Rights of West Virginia.

After Knisely’s departure from WVPB was first reported by The Parkersburg Information and Sentinel final week, each Republican Senate President Craig Blair and Democratic Celebration Chair Mike Pushkin referred to as the circumstances round her departure “disturbing.”

Pushkin stated Knisely’s protection of “the obtrusive points at DHHR” was “detailed, in depth, and most significantly true.”

“There is a very clear distinction between not liking what the media experiences and actively working to silence them,” Blair wrote on Twitter Dec. 29.

Knisely was employed as a part-time reporter at WVPB in September. In November, she was copied on an e-mail from then-DHHR Secretary Invoice Crouch alleging inaccuracies in a narrative and asking for a “full retraction.”

That by no means occurred, however in early December, Knisely stated she was informed by WVPB information director Eric Douglas that she may now not cowl DHHR due to threats by state officers to discredit WVPB.

Per week later, amid mounting criticism, Crouch introduced he was resigning.

Douglas confirmed to The Related Press that he was instructed to inform Knisely she would now not be reporting on DHHR, and that Antolini directed him to take action.

As for threats from DHHR officers about discrediting WVPB, he stated: “I would reasonably not touch upon that.”

On Dec. 15, Knisely filed a human sources grievance about interference together with her reporting.

Issues got here to a head later that very same day over Knisely’s press credentials for the 2023 legislative session, in response to emails obtained by the AP and first reported by The Parkersburg Information and Sentinel.

Douglas initially knowledgeable legislative staffers that Knisely would “serve an important position” in WVPB’s 2023 legislative protection. However then the station’s chief working officer left him off an e-mail saying she would not want credentials in spite of everything.

That troubled Senate spokesperson Jacque Bland, who emailed Douglas to ask about it.

“It feels type of gross and shady to me that another person would dip in and say that one in every of your reporters will not have any assignments associated to the session,” she wrote.

She added: “I positively needed you to remember that Butch and Buddies had been attempting to stay their fingers within the pie.”

Responding the following day, Douglas stated he had been pulled into Antolini’s workplace and informed “issues had modified with Amelia.” He stated he did not admire WVPB management going behind his again, “however for now it’s out of my palms.”

“And also you’re proper, it does really feel gross and shady,” he wrote.

Knisely stated she was knowledgeable Dec. 20 that part-time positions had been being eradicated. Her e-mail and key card had been deactivated round that point.

This week, Knisely announced on Twitter she was employed by the Beckley-based newspaper The Register-Herald to report on West Virginia’s upcoming legislative session. Her protection will embody developments with the state Division of Well being and Human Assets, she stated.