DENVER — A state report on the beating death of an 8-year-old boy found no fault with human services workers for failing to follow up on multiple calls from people – including at least one teacher – who feared the child was being abused.
Instead, that report from the state’s Child Fatality Review Team blamed Denver Public Schools for “systemic” gaps – including the failure to report Dametrious Wilson's repeated absence from class to human services or to treat them as truancy. It also faulted the district for failing to call other family members when the great aunt entrusted with the Dametrious’ care could not be reached.
That great aunt, Susan Baffour, is serving a 36-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to child abuse resulting in death.
“DPS is not in agreement with CDHS concluding in their own report that the only system error they could identify lies solely with DPS and school attendance,” said district spokesman Scott Pribble.
Julie Popp, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Human Services, said state law prevents her from speaking about any specific case.
The conclusions about the school district bothered Candance White, an aunt of Dametrious’ who is now guardian to his older sister.
“That was disturbing,” White said of the reports finding with respect to DPS.
The report made offered no suggestions for changes in policies or practices by anyone.
“Seeing that report that said no recommendations – after a child was reported on, and they were checked on, and he still ended up dead – shows you that they don't care to change it,” White said.
Dametrious and his sister were both entrusted to Baffour’s care in 2017.
In November 2019 and again in October 2020, people called a human services tipline to report concerns that Dametrious and his sister were being abused. Both times the calls were screened out – meaning no further action was taken.
At least one of those tips came from a teacher.
During the 2021-2022 school year, Dametrious missed class on 50 separate days. On the last day of school, Baffour called 911 and reported that he was unresponsive.
Eventually, she admitted she beat him with a wooden back scrubber.
White said she called a Department of Human Services manager to ask questions about the report and got the runaround.
“She told me to start with Denver County,” White said. “Denver County gave me DHS’s number; they told me to go to DHS. I went – it’s down the street; DHS gives me a card that says call this number. I come back and look on my phone. That’s the exact number I just called to go down there.”
She also said she was frustrated that the report makes it clear that no one from human services called back those who reported their suspicions about abuse to tell them what was – or was not – being done.
“You know, you make the report,” White said. “You, like, get that off your chest, you're happy you made it. And then you don't know. And then a child ends up murdered.”
She said she believes human services “owes it” to those who make reports to fill them in on the outcome.
In the meantime, Pribble, the DPS spokesman, said the district has been working on improvements to its attendance system.
“School attendance is essential to the district’s ability to educate and support students and continues to be a focal point for DPS,” he said in a written statement. “Most recently, the district has created updated attendance guidance focused on interventions for chronic absenteeism, which measures both unexcused and excused absences.
“Attendance guidance has been recently updated on a new attendance website, and DPS is developing a district-wide attendance strategy focused on reducing chronic absenteeism by supporting students who are missing school, for any reason. This work predates Dametrious’s murder.”
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