The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office announced last week it will not file criminal charges for the Milwaukee Health Department’s mismanagement of its childhood lead program. A local advocacy group is speaking out against the decision.
The district attorney review determined there was insufficient evidence to prove a crime had been committed.
At a press event Monday afternoon, Freshwater for Life Action Coalition, known as FLAC, said it plans to take the case to U.S. Office of Attorney General.
This is FLAC spokesperson Robert Miranda: “We got the 1200 pages of the AG’s findings. When you read this, key components of the investigation haven’t been completed. And one of the main major things you do in a criminal investigation is you talk to the people at that top, which wasn’t done."
For years, city leaders touted Milwaukee’s childhood lead program as one of the best in the country.
But in early 2018, it was discovered that between 2015 and 2017, Milwaukee’s health department failed to communicate with thousands of parents whose children's tests revealed concerning lead levels.
Longtime Health Commissioner Bevan Baker resigned in disgrace. Two interim commissioners served before a permanent department head came on board.
State Senator Lena Taylor joined advocates at Monday’s press conference, and echoed Robert Miranda’s concern: “A thorough investigation would mean all commissioners, all former health commissioners should be interviewed so that we can get to the bottom. Without that, we continue to harm.”
Milwaukee resident Shawana Hughes said her family is living the impact of lead poisoning. Early childhood exposure can cause learning problems, intellectual delays and behavior issues. Her now four-year-old son was diagnosed with elevated lead levels in the last year.
“Our government has failed us. My son has to see a behavior specialist due to the lead levels in our water,” Hughes said.
After the DA's office announced it would not bring charges, the Milwaukee Health Department released a statement saying: “We are grateful to close this chapter of the Health Department’s history,” adding “with community organizations, we are dedicated to ensuring such oversights in the department never happen again.”
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