SCRANTON, Pa. — A judge has dismissed all charges against five people accused of wrongdoing while working for Lackawanna County's Office of Youth and Family Services (OYFS).
Lackawanna County Judge James Gibbons ruled Friday that the caseworkers are immune from prosecution according to state law.
Police arrested Amy Helcoski, Sadie O'Day, Randy Ramik, Bryan Walker, and Erik Krauser in June 2023 and accused them of endangering the welfare of children and failing to report abuse.
Authorities said the county workers falsified reports and failed to intervene in situations involving children in need.
A week before the arrests, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services downgraded the Lackawanna County Office of Youth and Family Services to a provisional license after allegedly not responding to cases in a timely manner.
County officials say they do not have adequate staff to cover the more than 9,000 cases the office deals with annually.
Lackawanna County District Attorney Mark Powell said in a statement that he plans to appeal the decision.
"We believe Judge Gibbons' decision is wrong and will be appealing it immediately. This ruling gives permission to every child protective services worker in the Commonwealth to ignore their responsibilities without fear of any legal consequences. It's wrong and it cannot stand. Our children deserve better."