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Youth Services chief quits, cites stress
RACHEL O'NEAL
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

Paul Doramus of Benton resigned abruptly Wednesday as director of the state Division of Youth Services, a post he had held only since June 1.
He was Gov. Mike Huckabee's choice for correcting problems within the division.
When Doramus was hired, the state was trying to respond to allegations of abuse and mismanagement involving the division and the delinquent children placed in the state's care.
Doramus' resignation came as a surprise even to Richard Weiss, interim director of the state Department of Human Services. Youth Services is one of the department's 11 divisions.
Weiss said he didn't expect to receive Doramus' resignation letter but knew Doramus had been "under extraordinary stress for the last couple of months,"
Kurt Knickrehm, the department's deputy director, will fill in as the division's director until a permanent director can be found, Weiss said.
In a letter to Huckabee dated Wednesday, Doramus said his resignation was "effective as of 8 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4." He thanked Huckabee for the opportunity to serve as director but indicated he has been under some stress.
"As you can imagine, the past five months have been some of the most intense and challenging of my life," Doramus wrote.
Doramus, 42, also wrote that "personal sacrifices made by my family and myself have been great" and such sacrifices "are no longer an option." Doramus and his wife, Cindy, have two sons.
In June the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette published a series on conditions at the state's facilities for juvenile delinquents. On June 19, Huckabee announced he was closing the Observation and Assessment Center in North Little Rock. When he made that announcement, Doramus was at his side.
Since then Doramus has had to deal with a series of problems, including the escape of two boys from the Alexander Youth Services Center in October. They were captured a few days later in Mississippi.
No one answered the telephone at Doramus' home. He did not return messages left with his former secretary.
Several people on his staff said privately that they worried about the long hours Doramus had been working. Some said they encouraged him to cut back.
Both Weiss and Huckabee spokesman Jim Harris said Doramus was not asked to resign. Harris referred other questions to Joe Quinn, spokesman for the Department of Human Services.
Quinn said Doramus dictated his resignation letter to the division's deputy director, Joann Underwood, who typed it for him. He did not show up at his office Wednesday, Quinn said.
Doramus' resignation came the same day that the Legislative Council's Review Committee was to review a contract he proposed.
Doramus wanted to hire the Rivendell Management Co. to provide regular, special and vocational education to youths housed at the Alexander Youth Services Center and at the Arkansas State Hospital. Under the nine-month contract, Rivendell would be paid $827,475.
The committee discussed the contract about an hour Wednesday. During the discussion, no one told the lawmakers that Doramus had resigned. After the discussion the lawmakers signed off on the contract.
During the discussion, Rep. Dennis Young, D-Texarkana, questioned why Doramus wanted to fire the 21 state employees who now teach the youngsters and replace them with the contract.
Underwood said that a study commissioned by Doramus indicated that the youths were not getting a quality education.
Young questioned whether that was the fault of the 21 teachers or their administrators who may not have told them "what to teach." He also contended the Rivendell contract would cost the state more and pointed out the contract is only for nine months.
Jerry Evans, the division's assistant director, said the division now spends about $1 million a year for salaries and other benefits to the 21 state employees.
In addition to instructors, the Rivendell contract also includes books and other classroom materials. And Rivendell has agreed to restore a greenhouse and cabinetry workshop at the Alexander campus.
After the meeting, Weiss said he told some lawmakers privately that Doramus had resigned. Weiss said he didn't feel comfortable announcing a personnel matter at a public meeting.
From 1994 through May, Doramus was executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Saline County. He was a Democratic state representative from Little Rock in 1985-89. As the division's director, Doramus was paid $78,000 a year.
Doramus is independently wealthy. He owned landscaping businesses in Little Rock and Dallas but sold them several years ago.
Also at the Review Committee meeting, lawmakers deferred action on a $72,200 amendment to a contract that concerns renovations at the Alexander Youth Services Center. The contract will be discussed Nov. 20 by the Legislative Council.
Black, Corley and Owens, a Benton architectural firm, has an $879,250 contract for repairs at the center. The $72,200 amendment included architect fees and $15,000 for possible change orders. One of the firm's owners, Larry Black of Benton, is the husband of Elaine Black, Huckabee's director of legislative affairs, according to a contract and grant disclosure report.

This article was published on Thursday, November 5, 1998

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