Nov. 19, 1995  Olympian editorial
State Attorney General Christine Gregoire has filed felony criminal charges against three former staff members at the Olympia Kiwanis Boys Ranch alleging that two directors and a counselor stood by while youths entrusted to their care were physically and sexually abused.

Gregoire's year long investigation shows, that the systern failed these youngsters.  The horrendous abuse should have been detected and measures taken to correct the situation years ago . Because of negligence on the part of those in charge, children fleeing abusive homes were subjected to further abuse and mistreatment. This must never happen again.

One year ago, we called for, an independent investigation regarding allegations of beatings and rapes at the 0lympia group home. The late, Patrick Sutherland,  prosecutor of Thurston County responded immediately and called in Gregoire's investigators. Her findings reach far beyond our worst fears.

"The ranch was in a perpetual state of anarchy and chaos,"  Gregoire said.  "It was permeated   by violence, and sexual assaults were rampant. There was no structure. Treatment plans and programs were nonexistent and there was  no  therapy. "Initiation fights, drug and alcohol use and regular sexual assaults were common; including instances of sexual victimization of 10- and 11 year-old boys by older, sexually aggressive residents," Gregoire said. Investigator Martin Dickson was even more, blunt:  "What happened at. the ranch was an absolute atrocity."

The judicial system will deal with the three individuals charged with 10 felony counts of mistreatment. Those charged:
Thomas Van Woerden founder and director of the ranch from 1971 until 1993.
Collotte Queener  former assistant director and director from 1993 until 1994,
Laura (Rambo) Russall, longtime head counselor at the ranch.

  But the public has every right to be concerned about those who escaped  prosecution. Managers at DSHS who knew there were serious problems at the ranch as early as 1989 but did not issue a "stop placement" order until 1993 have not been cited. The public also has a legitimate question as to why the board of directors of the OK Boys Ranch - drawn from the Olympia Kiwanis Club were not held accountable for what occurred. Gregoire said, "If we could have criminally charged DSHS and the board we would have. But deficiencies in the law prevented us from charging the agency, the employees and the board."

The laws on criminal mistreatment must be extended to those who bear the responsibility of oversight. We urge the Legislature to make certain that those in authority are held criminally accountable for their actions and decisions.
Gregoire's other recommendations have equal merit. They include an independent licensing division that can monitor and oversee group homes. The division can serve as a clearing  house for complaints about the care of children in state-licensed foster care and group homes. The attorney general also wants active participation by license holders for group homes.  Direct involvement should be a condition of licensing. Greater community interaction is necessary. Gregoire also recommended a restructuring of DSHS - a matter already under consideration by state lawmakers.   But we must realize that  no amount of money, criminal charges  or structural changes within the child-care bureaucracy  can make up for what happened to the youngsters entrusted to the care of the state Department of Social and Health Services and the OK Boys Ranch.

As noted in charging documents: "Most of the victims have been diagnosed with post-traumatic, stress disorder as a result of their lives in constant fear of physical and sexual violence.  This condition is permanent for many of them. They have all suffered a substantial impairment in their ability to function as a result of the physical and psychological trauma caused by their residency at O.K.  Boys Ranch."

What an indictment of the child-care bureaucracy in this state.

Below is an e-mail I received from a former Olympia, Washington resident.

From: ~~~~~~~~@aol.com
To: Louis Bloom manaco@whidbey.net
Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 1999 11:34 AM
Subject: OKBR
Just came across your pages and felt the urge to respond... In the early 80's (81-83) I was at the OKBR frequently as a young kid walking to/from school, I became friends with some of the boys. At one point a small boy confided to me that he was being raped by another boy in the home. The abusing boy talked about it openly!
Days later I walked the victim to OPD where we both gave statements. Later that evening I began to receive these incredibly threatening phone calls from a woman employee of the ranch who's name I believe was Paulette at my home. She kept calling over and over screaming at me calling me names. It was horrible. I thought I was helping someone. Nothing came of it. Then all these years later, it all comes out ... one of the boys that I had known there left as a young adult and still couldn't get it together, he eventually killed himself. As an adult now I don't often think back to those times but it still saddens me. All those boys that needed a safe nurturing place to be, and how many of them were better off for having been taken there? It's not about money. It cost these boys their lives, their souls, their trust. Those people who knew, who didn't care, they should feel such shame. Just my opinion.

From: louis a bloom manaco@whidbey.net
To: ~~~~~~~@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 1999 7:30 PM
Subject: Re: OKBR
thanks for your e-mail. from what i've read, dshs, the olympia police department, and other "authorities" didn't consider child on child rape to be against the law. it was considered "normal experimentation". The "paulette" you mention, may have been Collette Queener who was an assistant director at the OKBR. Collette, OKBR Director Tom Van Woerdan, and OKBR counselor Laura Rambo Russell were ineptly charged by Wa. St. with "criminal mistreatment for failing to stop abuse". The charges were dismissed by Thurston County Judge Daniel Berschauer on technicalities. The lawyer who represented Collette Queener said, (Nov. 14, 1996 Olympian), that it was a "witch hunt", and that " a more innocent person (than Queener) you could not have for a client. She's an ex-nun ..... I don't see how you could view her in an evil or negative light."
I congratulate you for doing the right thing, when all those adults looked the other way. I repeat on most pages that the " OKBR has cost the Washington State taxpayers over $35 million dollars (so far)", because I think most people don't care about the kids involved, but they may care that it has cost them (taxpayers) money.
louis bloom

manaco@whidbey.net