We were all — rightly — up in arms this week after receiving the files that proved state officials knew for decades that things weren’t right at Henry’s Turkey Service’s Atalissa bunkhouse.
But an equally important fact hasn’t gotten nearly as much ink: A lot of people knew.
Newspapers had reported on the controversial arrangement as early [...]
Archive for February, 2009
2/28 Column: What took so long?
Posted in Gazette Columns, tagged Atalissa, Henry's Turkey Service on February 28, 2009 | Comments Off
2/25 Column: Plenty of blame in Postville
Posted in Gazette Columns, tagged Agriprocessors, Postville on February 25, 2009 | Comments Off
So Sholom Rubashkin’s attorneys are worried about his public image.
They say we’ve already tried and convicted the former Agriprocessors vice president in the court of public opinion — found him guilty of those 98 counts of bank fraud, money laundering, identity theft and harboring and aiding and abetting illegal workers. They’ve asked for a change [...]
State releases Atalissa files
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Atalissa, Henry's Turkey Service on February 24, 2009 | Comments Off
The Iowa Department of Human Services has posted their public files from two investigations into Henry’s Turkey Service of Atalissa. I’m on my way out the door for an appointment, but wanted you to have them ASAP.
You can find the files here.
I’ll be reading through this in the afternoon, but I’m also interested in knowing [...]
2/21 Column: Worker says DHS stifled 1970s bunkhouse report
Posted in Gazette Columns, tagged Atalissa, Henry's Turkey Service on February 21, 2009 | Comments Off
State officials have known for decades about questionable living and working arrangements at the Atalissa bunkhouse, but told social workers to turn a blind eye, according to a former social worker.
“We were stunned, we were angry, we were flabbergasted,” Jan Soboroff told me Friday. But they didn’t feel like they could do anything about it, [...]
2/18 Column: Look closer to protect vulnerable
Posted in Gazette Columns on February 18, 2009 | Comments Off
Gov. Chet Culver formed a task force Tuesday to figure out how we can better protect Iowa’s dependent adults.
Culver wants to know if Iowa laws, regulations and practices failed the 21 mentally disabled men employed, housed and allegedly exploited by Texas-based Henry’s Turkey Service.
But disability advocates tell me that private company is just the tip [...]
Better protecting Iowa’s dependent adults
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Atalissa, Henry's Turkey Service on February 17, 2009 | Comments Off
For tomorrow’s column, I talked to a number of disability advocates who say they weren’t surprised to hear allegations at least 21 men with mental retardation were exploited.
“The history of services to people with cognitive impairments and intellectual disabilities is fraught with abuse,” said Lex Frieden, former Chairman of the National Council on Disability.
Frieden helped [...]
2/14 Column: How did Atalissa labor scandal go unnoticed?
Posted in Gazette Columns on February 14, 2009 | Comments Off
As we celebrated Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday Thursday, state officials were scrambling to find out how the hell a Texas-based company could have exploited mentally disabled men in Atalissa for decades.
Henry’s Turkey Service earned up to $40,000 a month from federal disability payments and wages from West Liberty Foods paid to “the boys,” according to [...]
Legislators call hearings on Atalissa boys
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Atalissa, Henry's Turkey Service on February 13, 2009 | Comments Off
This today from Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, in an e-mail newsletter to constituents:
At this time of national recession, some unethical corporations are taking advantage of hard pressed Iowa workers.
First there was the controversy surrounding violations of labor laws and other regulations at the AgriProcessors meatpacking plant in Postville. Now we learn that a group [...]
Henry’s Turkey: 16 years ago
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Atalissa, Henry's Turkey Service on February 12, 2009 | Comments Off
Found this profile of now deceased Henry’s Turkey Service co-owner T.H. Johnson. It paints a picture of a much different time:
A special group farm
The Gazette (Cedar Rapids-Iowa City) – Tuesday, September 15, 1992
Author: Dave Gosch
ATALISSA – T.H. Johnson proved that a Texan could build a good program in Iowa long before Hayden Fry arrived here.
Johnson’s [...]
More about the Atalissa “boys” and their pets
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Atalissa, Henry's Turkey Service on February 12, 2009 | 1 Comment »
A reader forwarded to me West Liberty Index reporter Sara Sedlacek’s interview with the Rev. Lynn Thiede and congregants of Zion Lutheran Church, where the Henry Turkey “boys” attended and even had a special Bible class, according to the article:
The community was shocked to find out the conditions in which the men were living were not what [...]
