Moody hearing exposes failures, fuels DSS reform push

Despite staffing changes, internal reviews, and a promised corrective action plan in Mecklenburg County, state lawmakers left a North Carolina House Oversight Committee hearing visibly frustrated after hearing that repeated warning signs were missed before the death of six-year-old Dominique Moody.

“Dominique Moody’s death could have been prevented,” Rep. Allen Chesser, R-Nash, said as he opened the hearing. “Let me say that again. This was a preventable death that occurred because of inaction.”

“We must address this now because we can’t afford to delay,” Chesser added. “Every delay means a child remains unsafe and placed in unsafe environments for longer periods of time. Delays mean more children will be harmed and the failures that led to Dominique Moody’s tragic death will continue.”

Dominique Moody was a six-year-old Mecklenburg County girl who died in December due to alleged extreme abuse and neglect. Authorities found her body inside a home in what officials described as horrific conditions. Three caretakers were charged in connection with her death, including murder and felony child abuse charges.

“It is not a common experience to find a dead six-year-old child in a dog crate in a home,” said Rep. Mike Schietzel, R-Wake. “There is a lot that fell through the cracks here. This passed through a lot of people’s hands, and a lot of people need to accept responsibility for this.”

Officials with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) told lawmakers that Mecklenburg County received multiple reports of abuse and neglect involving Moody’s household, yet failed to intervene further.

“Our review of this fatality revealed serious concerns with Mecklenburg’s child welfare practice, including numerous violations of state law, rule, and policy,” said Lisa Tucker-Cawley, division director for human services at NCDHHS.

NCDHHS said four of five reports regarding Moody’s home that had been “screened out” with no further action should have been screened in because the information provided met the legal definition of abuse or neglect. The agency’s review also found that Mecklenburg staff failed to review the child protective services history that would have shown a pattern of abuse and neglect and did not make contact frequently enough to ensure the child’s safety.

In written testimony, NCDHHS said Mecklenburg DSS had multiple CPS reports that Moody was being abused and neglected and conducted assessments, “yet failed to intervene.” The department said those failures amounted to “clear violations of state law and policy.”

Mecklenburg County Manager Mike Bryant told the committee in written testimony that he ordered a comprehensive internal review and an HR employee investigation after learning of Moody’s death.

“While we cannot change the outcome for Dominique, we have an obligation to learn from this case and strengthen the systems entrusted with protecting vulnerable children,” Bryant wrote.

Interim Child, Family and Adult Services Director Letecia Loadholt also said Mecklenburg has conducted an extensive review since Moody’s death.

“We take the findings outlined by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services seriously,” Loadholt wrote. “Our focus remains on strengthening our systems and supporting our workforce to make meaningful and lasting improvements to address reports of abuse or neglect in the community.”

But lawmakers from both parties voiced frustration throughout the hearing, questioning whether the agencies involved were measuring success by bureaucratic benchmarks rather than whether children were actually safe.

During the hearing, Rep. Carla Cunningham, U-Mecklenburg, pressed law enforcement officials on whether repeated contacts with the home should have produced more reports to DSS. Cunningham said the agencies involved were not solely responsible, but that the system as a whole failed Moody.

“A lot of people close their eyes and fail to see, and I know it’s hard,” Cunningham said. “But that’s what we are expected to do to protect the children in this entire state — to keep our eyes open, observe and assess, and report to the necessity for that child to survive. And we have failed. We have failed.”

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Estella Patterson told lawmakers that CMPD responded to 36 incidents at the residence since 2020, though not all were child welfare calls. She said the department made one DSS referral and acknowledged that more communication and more thorough investigations could help prevent future tragedies.

Mecklenburg County Sheriff Gary McFadden said his office’s role was limited to civil-process matters. He said deputies served domestic violence protective orders and other civil papers connected to the address, but had no indication that Moody was in danger.

The hearing also addressed statewide reform options. NCDHHS officials said the current county-administered, state-supervised system limits the state’s ability to ensure consistent child welfare practice across all 100 counties.

The department is currently administering child welfare services in three counties, and six additional counties, including Mecklenburg, are completing corrective action plans.

The committee also pointed to House Bill 1144, the Dominique Moody Safety Act, as one possible path forward. The bill would create a Child Welfare Case Escalation Team within NCDHHS to intervene in high-risk cases, review records, and identify patterns. The bill has been referred to the House Judiciary 2 Committee.

Lawmakers and state officials also discussed centralized intake, stronger supervision standards, and the continued rollout of PATH NC, the state’s child welfare information system. NCDHHS officials said all 100 counties are now using PATH NC for intake and assessments, giving workers access to statewide CPS history and structured decision-making tools.

In a broader review of 122 Mecklenburg case records, NCDHHS found widespread problems beyond Moody’s case: intake workers failed to ask sufficient questions in 52% of intakes, files lacked required notification to law enforcement and district attorneys in 36% of cases involving possible criminal child abuse, safety plans were adequate in only 43% of cases, face-to-face contact with children occurred at the correct frequency in just 48% of cases, and 58% lacked all required components of quality supervisory oversight.

“Moody hearing exposes failures, fuels DSS reform push” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.