How Could You? Hall of Shame-Thomas Stacy, Jr and Jennifer Stacy

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Floyd County, Kentucky, pastor and adoptive parent Thomas Stacy Jr.  and his wife Jennifer Stacy “were indicted last week on charges of criminal and sexual abuse related to a child the couple adopted.

Thomas served as a pastor at Goble Roberts Community Free Will Baptist Church; he and his wife both worked for Mountain Comprehensive Care. Now, those who know them are trying to understand how something like this could happen in their own backyards.

“You know, you know people. You think you know them,” said MCCC HR Director Kathy Baldridge.

Jennifer worked as a Foster Care Treatment Director and Thomas was a branch supervisor. According to Baldridge, the Stacys were excellent workers and loved by their co-workers. So, when the news broke, they were all lost.

“It hurts. It’s hard to imagine,” Baldridge said. “It’s very difficult to get it off of your mind.”

She said the news was heartbreaking because of the children in the Stacy family’s care, adding that those children were not adopted or placed through MCCC’s agency.

“Children were not placed in their home through Mountain Comprehensive Care Center,” said Baldridge. “Jennifer and Thomas Stacy were foster care parents through another agency.”

Baldridge said allowing MCCC employees to foster or adopt through MCCC is a conflict of interest.

She also said the company completes criminal record checks upon employment as well as child abuse and registry checks. If employees work with children, that registry check is completed annually. Baldridge said there were never any red flags from those investigations.

“It makes me very sad,” Baldridge said. “I take pride in the people that we hire through this agency. And when I find out that allegations have been made it’s very difficult.”

She said she is heartbroken about the entire situation and she also worries it will shine a negative light on the foster care system as a whole.

“You know, I wouldn’t want anyone to be discouraged by what happened,” she said. “Because this is just one in a million cases. You always hear the bad; you very seldom hear the good.”

The good, she said, is still prevalent in the system. She said good people are working to make sure life is good for the children in the area, a mission that she says fuels MCCC and its work.

The Stacys were terminated when the company learned about the indictment. The words “Pastor Thomas Stacy Jr.” have also been removed from the sign at Goble Roberts Community Freewill Baptist Church.”

‘You think you know them’: Employers of couple charged with child abuse say it came as a shock

[WVMT 2/27/2020 by Buddy Forbes]

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