Social safety net failed Cherokee baby
 

Social safety net failed Cherokee baby

Additional evidence has surfaced indicating Swain County social workers failed to act on reports of alleged abuse and neglect of…
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New board and new director take reins  at Swain DSS amidst SBI probe
 

New board and new director take reins at Swain DSS amidst SBI probe

The director of Swain County Department of Social Services has been put on leave with pay following a nearly clean…
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Swain DSS director fired, lodges appeal
 

Swain DSS director fired, lodges appeal

Tammy Cagle, once the leader of the Swain County Department of Social Services, has been given the ax by the…
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Swain DSS ‘stretched thin’ prior to baby Aubrey’s death
 

Swain DSS ‘stretched thin’ prior to baby Aubrey’s death

Swain County social workers in charge of protecting children are paid less and handle more cases than those elsewhere in…
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Former Swain DSS director appeals firing but loses
 

Former Swain DSS director appeals firing but loses

The former head of Swain County’s Department of Social Services won’t be getting her job back, members of the county’s…
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Swain commissioner got DSS aid while niece was agency’s director
 

Swain commissioner got DSS aid while niece was agency’s director

A county commissioner got financial aid from the Swain County Department of Services last year while his niece was serving…
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Interim director takes charge of Swain DSS amidst ongoing investigation
 

Interim director takes charge of Swain DSS amidst ongoing investigation

An interim director is now at the helm of the Swain County Department of Social Services, bringing to the table…
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Tribe asks Swain DSS to send different social workers
 

Tribe asks Swain DSS to send different social workers

Swain County social workers and supervisors named in a State Bureau of Investigation probe are no longer welcome to work…
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Cherokee trust shaken in Swain DSS
 

Cherokee trust shaken in Swain DSS

Tribal members and leaders alike vented their discontent with Swain County’s handling of child welfare for Cherokee children at this…
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Crowd berates Swain commissioners, supports DSS board
 

Crowd berates Swain commissioners, supports DSS board

A large crowd turned out at the Swain County commissioners meeting this week to voice support for the beleaguered Department…
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Swain commissioners want DSS workers suspended
 

Swain commissioners want DSS workers suspended

The state could step in to run the Swain County Department of Social Services if the top leaders are among…
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Tribe, county DSS agencies have complex relationship
 

Tribe, county DSS agencies have complex relationship

By Quintin Ellison and Colby Dunn • Staff writers The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is forced to rely on…
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The tragic life of Aubrey Littlejohn: Family members feared for child’s safety
 

The tragic life of Aubrey Littlejohn: Family members feared for child’s safety

Relatives say they warned social workers repeatedly over the course of several months that Aubrey Littlejohn was being neglected and…
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Child’s death hits Cherokee hard
 

Child’s death hits Cherokee hard

The mood is grim. Few people in this tight community want to talk to an outsider about the death of…
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Swain DSS investigated for cover-up in child’s death
 

Swain DSS investigated for cover-up in child’s death

The Swain County Department of Social Services falsified records relating to the abuse and neglect of a 15-month-old baby who…
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Suspicious death of 15-month-old prompts SBI to seize Swain DSS computers
 

Suspicious death of 15-month-old prompts SBI to seize Swain DSS computers

The State Bureau of Investigation raided Swain County Department of Social Services Tuesday, hauling off computers and records in an…
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