Oakland Co Exec wants investigation into teen sent to juvenile facility for not doing homework

FOX 2 - “She was deemed to have violated her parole and the judge put her back in Children’s Village," said David Coulter.

That is what Coulter, the Oakland County executive said about a 15-year-old who was sent back to a juvenile facility. 

"She is still at Children’s Village which is one of the reasons I’ve called for an additional hearing. I know the judge feels like she did what was appropriate in the circumstance. But right now, we’re now in a global pandemic. One of our goals is to reduce the population of Children’s Village to only the people who pose a risk to the community. So I think it warrants extra review."

The allegation a ProPublica article puts forward, is the teen who attends Groves High School was sent to the facility partly because she did not complete online homework. 

"I’m not privy to the entire case file," Coulter said. "This young girl's privacy is important and I respect that. But she had been involved in the system for various offenses."

"The judge hasn’t been able to fully explain her rationale. She says she violated probation. What exact portions of that probation are still unknown to me."

"Schools have changed so dramatically and this young girl, according to her mother, has ADHD and has some learning disabilities. Our kids today are struggling with how to navigate being in school right now so that adds an extra burden.”

The court released a statement... it reads in part: "Presiding Judge Mary Ellen Brennan and the entire family division of the Oakland Circuit Court, are very proud of the work they do helping children and families resolve problems, get needed treatment and acts as professional resources. The important work has been made more difficult by the pandemic. But the entire court team remains committed to making a positive difference for children and families who need help." 

>>Read the entire statement below.