CHILD ABUSE AT MACLAREN IS ALLEGED EX-SHELTER WORKER TESTIFIES.

Byline: Troy Anderson Staff Writer

A former food services worker at MacLaren Children's Center testified Thursday he had witnessed the physical and sexual abuse of children at the El Monte shelter and that he lost his job after blowing the whistle to his supervisors.

Los Angeles resident Greg Lyons, who is representing himself in an appeal before the Civil Service Commission, said he witnessed incidents of abuse when he worked at MacLaren from March 2 until June 21, 2001.

Lyons, 39, also said that the shelter's staff slammed children to the ground, served them burned and moldy food and cheated on personnel timecards. He testified that he reported the problems to his supervisors, who decided against renewing his contract.

In October, Lyons filed a claim with the county, claiming he had been terminated for reporting abuses at the facility. By law, a claim must be filed before a lawsuit can be filed. The county rejected the claim.

Los Angeles attorney Charles H. Goldstein, who is representing the county Department of Children and Family Services, said in his opening statement that Lyons never reported any improprieties to supervisors.

``There was no sex, no drugs and no rock 'n' roll,'' Goldstein said. ``There was no disclosure of sex with children and children being slammed. There is a room full of witnesses who will testify to that.''

Goldstein also said the county Auditor Controller's Office had determined that a memo purportedly written by Administrative Services Manager Velda Moore, ordering a co-worker to destroy documents having to do with sexual abuse of children, was likely a hoax.

During the hearing, Stephanie Salcido, a field representative for Service Employees International Union Local 660, testified that Lyons called her several days before he was terminated and said he was afraid McLaren officials were going to retaliate against him for reporting problems at the facility.

``He mentioned a cook trading food for liquor at a 7-Eleven store around the block, ... burnt food given to children, and (that) one supervisor had threatened him because he was getting the cooks in trouble,'' Salcido testified.

Under cross-examination by Goldstein, Salcido testified that Lyons never told her about sexual and physical abuse of children.

``I recall him saying that employees were leaving early,'' Salcido said. ``I remember him making a complaint to management because he felt it was wrong.''

Goldstein said the county investigated the timecard fraud allegation and found it has been a long-standing practice for at least 27 years that employees can leave work early, signing out at their scheduled hour, if they have completed their work for the day. The hearing will resume Tuesday, when more witnesses are expected to testify.