SCRANTON, Pa. — Lackawanna County on Wednesday fired its director health and human services as its newly sworn in administration seeks a "culture change" with its beleaguered child services office, officials said.
Chief of Staff Brian Jeffers presented William Browning with a notice of termination. It is effective immediately.
Browning was tasked with the oversight of the county's beleaguered Office of Youth and Family Services, which has suffered through critical staffing shortfalls and criminal scrutiny for its handling of child welfare cases.
Earlier this month, Judge James Gibbons dismissed criminal cases against five people who Scranton police accused of wrongdoing while working for OYFS.
Before the arrests last summer, the state Department of Human Services downgraded the office's license to provisional status for allegedly not responding to cases in a timely manner.
After the dismissal of criminal charges, District Attorney Mark Powell said he planned to appeal the decision. An appeal has not been filed as of Wednesday.
Newly elected county Commissioner Bill Gaughan said OYFS is a top priority for the administration. He declined to speak about personnel matters, but said the administration wanted "to move in a new direction" by seeking a "culture change" in the agency.
An interim director will be appointed Thursday.
For now, the agency is managed by its assistant director, Patricia Sack. She's worked with the county nearly 39 years, according to county records.
Browning, of Clarks Summit, spent nearly 19 years employed by the county, records show. His wife, Kerry Browning, works as an assistant administrator in OYFS.
William Browning's most recent yearly salary was $93,665, county records show.
