Follow-Up: Team 4 Investigates Local Pastor
Paul Van Osdol Reports
POSTED: 5:57 p.m. EDT July 11, 2003
In the wake of a Team 4 investigation, Allegheny County is taking action against a minister accused of denying food and shelter to the mentally challenged.
Team 4's Paul Van Osdol broke the story. Below is his follow-up report, which first aired July 11, 2003, on WTAE Action News at 6 p.m.
Pastor Michael Fletcher, of Grace Temple Church, ran a county-funded program to care for the mentally retarded. Earlier this year, some of his former clients told Team 4 that they were denied food and shelter. We also found some employees with criminal records. Now, the county has cut off funding to fletcher's church. Fletcher's Grace Temple Church got nearly $400,000 per year from the county to care for the mentally retarded -- people like Shiree Johnson. Johnson, a former client, from Feb. 14, 2003: "Me and a couple other people that lived in the house had took a shopping bag and filled it up with buns that people were leaving on the tables because there was no food in the house, except for dry cereal and a bottle of ketchup." Former client Hattie Williams said she wound up on the street because Fletcher did not pay her rent. Williams, from Feb. 14: "We got locked out of the house in the rain. Van Osdol, from Feb. 14: "You were locked out of the house because Fletcher hadn't paid the rent?" Williams, from Feb. 14: "Yes." Team 4 also learned some of Fletcher's employees had criminal backgrounds. Carolyn Freeman said Fletcher knew about her record when he hired her. Freeman, from Feb. 14: "I have two assaults and some other things. I'm a four-time felon." But that did not keep her from taking care of a judge's sister. Now, Fletcher's church is out of the business of helping the mentally retarded. In a letter, county Human Services Director Marc Cherna says Grace Temple failed to provide access to financial records despite numerous requests. Cherna also says two inspections found "programmatic deficiences" that "were determined to have the potential to compromise the consumers' overall well-being." Fletcher was required to move his county-funded clients to other agencies. A county Human Services spokeswoman says she does not know whether Fletcher still has other clients not funded by the county. Fletcher did not return Van Osdol's phone calls Friday.
Pastor Michael Fletcher, of Grace Temple Church, ran a county-funded program to care for the mentally retarded. Earlier this year, some of his former clients told Team 4 that they were denied food and shelter. We also found some employees with criminal records. Now, the county has cut off funding to fletcher's church. Fletcher's Grace Temple Church got nearly $400,000 per year from the county to care for the mentally retarded -- people like Shiree Johnson. Johnson, a former client, from Feb. 14, 2003: "Me and a couple other people that lived in the house had took a shopping bag and filled it up with buns that people were leaving on the tables because there was no food in the house, except for dry cereal and a bottle of ketchup." Former client Hattie Williams said she wound up on the street because Fletcher did not pay her rent. Williams, from Feb. 14: "We got locked out of the house in the rain. Van Osdol, from Feb. 14: "You were locked out of the house because Fletcher hadn't paid the rent?" Williams, from Feb. 14: "Yes." Team 4 also learned some of Fletcher's employees had criminal backgrounds. Carolyn Freeman said Fletcher knew about her record when he hired her. Freeman, from Feb. 14: "I have two assaults and some other things. I'm a four-time felon." But that did not keep her from taking care of a judge's sister. Now, Fletcher's church is out of the business of helping the mentally retarded. In a letter, county Human Services Director Marc Cherna says Grace Temple failed to provide access to financial records despite numerous requests. Cherna also says two inspections found "programmatic deficiences" that "were determined to have the potential to compromise the consumers' overall well-being." Fletcher was required to move his county-funded clients to other agencies. A county Human Services spokeswoman says she does not know whether Fletcher still has other clients not funded by the county. Fletcher did not return Van Osdol's phone calls Friday.
Previous Stories:
- February 14, 2003: Team 4 Investigates Local Pastor
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