On April 11, 2022, KHOU in Texas published an article detailing new ramifications of Governor Greg Abbotts’ directive that the Department of Family and Protective Services investigate parents of transgender children: employee resignations.
“More than half a dozen child abuse investigators told The Texas Tribune that they either have resigned or are actively job-hunting as a result of the directive.” Employees have cited ethical dilemmas as the reason for their resignation, such as being asked not to communicate in writing about cases related to the Governor’s directive.
During one of the hearings for the investigation of this directive, a former DFPS supervisor testified claiming that cases that were being investigated on the directive were treated differently than others. She mentioned that the reason she resigned was due to the unethical push this directive brought to the department.
Employees have also said that the intense resignation of supervisors and employees is affecting the staff. Every day someone leaves, it means more work for employees left behind. This directive has not only caused an ethical issue for families and investigators, but now it’s also adding to Texas DFPS’s existing workforce issues.
