West Virginia journalist fired after investigating alleged abuse at state facilities

Amelia Ferrell Knisely said she had been warned to stop reporting on allegations that the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources was hiding information on the treatment of disabled persons in state care in the weeks before she was let go from her part-time job at West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Knisely said leaders at the Health and Human Resources department had “threatened to discredit” WVPB.She also reported on a letter Republican Senate President Craig Blair sent to Gov. Jim Justice asking for a formal probe into the allegations. She claimed the order came from WVPB Executive Director Butch Antolini, the former communications director for the Justice. Antolini stepped up to the job in 2021 — his predecessor was ousted after Justice overhauled the agency’s governing board. Justice himself had a history of trying to eliminate the annual $4 million in state funding for WVPB.West Virginia Educational Broadcasting Authority chairman William H. File III claims Knisely was not fired and still remains on the station’s payroll.

Everyone knows how people are treated in them facilities. They are under staffed over-under and anytime someone points things out the facilities hide behind company policies.

west virginia? they wouldn't believe her anyways

😢

NYC Psychiatrist telling me to kill myself. Please share. Abuse needs to stop.

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W.Va. journalist let go after reporting on abuse allegationsA West Virginia journalist lost her job last month after she reported about alleged abuse of people with disabilities within the state agency that runs West Virginia's foster care and psychiatric facilities. Amelia Ferrell Knisely, a reporter at West Virginia Public Broadcasting, said she was told to stop reporting on the Department of Health and Human Resources after leaders of the embattled agency “threatened to discredit” the publicly funded television and radio network. In a statement, Knisely said her news director told her the order came from WVPB Executive Director Butch Antolini, former communications director for Republican Gov. Jim Justice. 4lisaguerrero We can’t have news criticizing Republican states - why, that’s downright treason! I just knew Republicans would be involved. 😠 Seems to be an ongoing crisis for reporters these days. Those who actually do investigative reporting that may look negatively on the government are soon to be called out and fired. One must group think or not think it all.
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