Inset: Alan Zhang (Boone County Jail). Background: The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services where Zhang worked (WKRC).
A 24-year-old social worker in Kentucky is accused of sending two girls home despite obvious signs of abuse, allegedly telling medical personnel who came to examine the victims that he needed to leave because he "had places to be."
Alan Zhang was arrested and charged with one count each of official misconduct, wanton endangerment, failure to report and complicity to commit assault, all misdemeanors.
Zhang's arrest is a new development in the Gallatin County case involving Kyle Reynold and Phyllis Culp, who are accused of severely abusing Culp's two young daughters for months.
As Law&Crime previously reported, the investigation into the alleged abuse began Aug. 28, when the girls arrived at school with what officials described as visible abuse injuries, including black eyes, bruises, neck marks and bite marks. The school contacted the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), and Zhang arrived roughly three and a half hours later to investigate.
According to charging documents obtained by Cincinnati NBC affiliate WLWT, Zhang interviewed the girls and had a school nurse photograph their injuries. School employees told him multiple times that they had not contacted police because they believed CHFS would do so if necessary.
Zhang allegedly called his supervisor and then told school officials he "wasn't comfortable with the situation" before directing them to send the girls home.
The documents allege Zhang had also overheard one of the girls say, "Mom's boyfriend choked her." He reportedly sent the girls home anyway.
School officials soon called the residence. According to the documents, they could hear Reynold screaming over the phone, prompting them to call 911 and request that deputies go to the home to make sure the girls were safe.
By the time officers arrived, the children had allegedly been beaten again.
Gallatin County Attorney Grant Axon told Cincinnati CBS affiliate WKRC that the girls were sent home despite "obvious signs" that doing so put them in danger.
"He not only completely failed these two children by not investigating the injuries that they had," he told the station. "But then when he sent them home against all obvious signs to do so, they were beaten again."
The allegations against Zhang also concern what happened after deputies and emergency personnel arrived.
According to the charging documents, Zhang reportedly told an EMS worker that he "had places to be" and "needed to know what was going on so he could leave."
The girls were ultimately taken to Cincinnati Children's Hospital for forensic examinations, which documented 32 visible injuries on one girl and 23 on the other. The injuries reportedly included black eyes, a busted lip, facial and head bruising, strangulation marks, bite marks, and bruising on their arms, torsos, backs, buttocks and legs.
Authorities said the injuries matched the children's accounts of abuse.
The victims reportedly told authorities that Reynold had struck and strangled them. One girl reportedly recalled him saying he would "choke her until she died" and "goodnight forever."
Culp, the girls' mother, allegedly told authorities that she witnessed the abuse but would "go into a bathroom to hide whenever he abuses the children." She also allegedly admitted applying makeup to the girls to "conceal their injuries" before sending them to school.
Reynold was arrested after deputies responded to the home Aug. 28. Culp was arrested days later. Both are charged in connection with the alleged abuse.
Asked why Axon's office decided to pursue criminal charges against Zhang, the prosecutor said Zhang's actions were nearly unprecedented.
"Our research would suggest that in Kentucky, it may have been as many as 50 years ago since something like that has occurred," Axon told WKRC, referring to a CHFS worker being criminally held accountable in a similar situation.
A sheriff's investigator also said that when he attempted to question Zhang's supervisor about what happened, the supervisor received a call from her boss instructing her to leave the interview.
Asked why CHFS would tell an employee not to cooperate with a law enforcement investigation, Axon said: "That's a very good question. I can't explain their thought process behind that, other than to say it appears to be self-preservation — not only on the individuals' accounts — the social worker and supervisor — but at large, the Cabinet, which is trying to keep these facts from coming to light."
CHFS released a statement saying it was reviewing the allegations.
"The safety and well-being of Kentucky children is — and will always be — a top priority for Team Kentucky. The Cabinet for Health and Family Services recognizes the seriousness of these allegations and is working with urgency to review the situation for appropriate next steps," the agency reportedly said.
Zhang was booked into the Boone County Jail and released after posting a $5,000 bond, WLWT reported. He is scheduled to appear in Gallatin County Court for his arraignment on Oct. 20, records show.