The Department of Children and Families investigator who was in charge of watching over the Barahona family won't be getting her job back.
Andrea Fleary, who was fired in March as part of the backlash in the child abuse case that made national headlines, had her appeal denied by the Public Employees Relations Commission earlier this month, the Sun-Sentinel reported.
Part of Fleary's job was to stay in close contact with Jorge and Carmen Barahona, who had adopted four children, including 10-year-old twins, Nubia and Victor.
Nubia was found dead in the back of Jorge Barahona's truck in February and her brother was found badly burned in the front seat of the vehicle.
Jorge and Carmen Barahona have been charged with first-degree murder and a slew of child abuse charges stemming from the incident.
Fleary, a 22-year DCF veteran, believes her job dismissal was unjust.
During an interview in April, Fleary said she made no mistakes in her investigation. Nubia's death left doubts about the thoroughness of her investigative process, DCF said.
The commission ruled on June 7 that DCF “had cause to discipline Fleary.”
Although Fleary has 30 days to appeal the commission’s decision to the District Court of Appeals, Fleary’s lawyer, Matthew Ladd, is considering other options before they choose to appeal. He also stated that he was not surprised by the disciplinary action.
