Former CPS Worker: Evergreen Reports Should Have Triggered Action
TL;DR: School staff filed five CPS reports about repeated head and neck injuries to two Chesterfield brothers from 2018 to 2024, but a former child welfare expert says the pattern of documented harm should have triggered follow-up investigations that apparently never occurred.
Quick facts
- Who: Two Chesterfield County brothers; Evergreen Elementary School staff; Christa Moore, former CPS worker
- What: Five reports filed with Child Protective Services regarding repeated injuries; expert analysis suggests pattern should have prompted investigations
- When: Reports filed between 2018 and 2024
- Where: Evergreen Elementary School, Chesterfield County
The story
School staff at Evergreen Elementary in Chesterfield County filed at least five reports with Child Protective Services regarding injuries and concerns about two brothers spanning from 2018 to 2024. Allison Anderson, a counselor at the school, testified about these reports, which documented repeated head and neck injuries.
A former CPS worker who reviewed the records for CBS 6 found that the pattern of documented harm should have triggered follow-up investigations. Christa Moore, an associate professor of sociology at UVA Wise with prior experience as a CPS worker in Kentucky, analyzed the school's reports and concluded that the accumulated documentation of injuries warranted agency action.
However, when questioned about whether CPS conducted follow-ups on the reports, a Chesterfield County spokesperson said the county could not confirm follow-ups had occurred because there are no records of the reports in the state's official child welfare database. This discrepancy raises questions about whether the reports were properly documented or whether they were received but not acted upon.
The revelations prompted Virginia state Senator Glen Sturtevant (R-12th District) to request an investigation. He wrote to Eric Reynolds, director of Virginia's Office of the Children's Ombudsman, asking for a review of how the reports about the boys were received, documented, and handled. Reynolds agreed to have his office initiate an investigation into the matter.
Key players
- Christa Moore: Former CPS worker and associate professor of sociology at UVA Wise who reviewed records for CBS 6
- Allison Anderson: Counselor at Evergreen Elementary School who testified about five CPS reports
- Glen Sturtevant: Virginia state senator (R-12th District) who requested investigation by Office of the Children's Ombudsman
- Evergreen Elementary School: Chesterfield County school where staff made repeated reports to CPS
- Child Protective Services: Agency that received reports but apparently did not investigate
- Office of the Children's Ombudsman: Virginia agency investigating how CPS handled the reports
Key dates
- 2018: First CPS report filed by Evergreen Elementary staff
- 2024: Final CPS report filed; police discovered abuse documentation in late 2024
The case for
CPS must be responsive to repeated reports of concerning injuries from mandated reporters like school staff, and clear documentation practices should ensure that patterns of harm trigger appropriate follow-up.
The case against
Without reviewing the complete case files and circumstances surrounding each report, it is unclear whether CPS made investigation decisions based on information or factors not captured in school records, or whether systemic failures actually occurred.
Why it matters: This case highlights potential gaps in how Chesterfield County's child protection system responds to repeated warnings from school staff, raising questions about child safety and agency accountability in a community where children may be vulnerable to ongoing harm.
Places
Development timeline
- 2018First CPS report filed: Evergreen Elementary school staff file initial report with Child Protective Services regarding injuries and concerns about two brothers [source]
- 2024Final report filed, abuse discovered: Fifth CPS report filed by school staff; police later discover video documentation of abuse inside the brothers' home [source]
- 2026Expert analysis for CBS 6: Christa Moore, former CPS worker, reviews school records for CBS 6 and concludes the pattern should have triggered follow-up investigations [source]
- 2026State ombudsman investigation requested: Senator Glen Sturtevant requests investigation by Virginia's Office of the Children's Ombudsman into how CPS handled the reports [source]
Related links
- Expert analysis of Chesterfield CPS handling
- Senator calls for investigation into child protection failures
- Grandmother's account of systemic failures
Read the original at WTVR CBS 6 (YouTube) →
Sources
- Expert: Repeated head and neck injuries should have prompted CPS follow-up
- Grandmother says systemic failures let boys' abuse continue for years
- 2 Virginia brothers 'fell through the cracks' of state's child protection system