×

W.Va. Public Broadcasting reporter released after DHHR pressure

CHARLESTON — West Virginia Public Broadcasting has parted ways with one of its reporters after alleged retaliation from WVPB operational management and pressure from the Department of Health and Human Services.

According to Amelia Knisely, a part-time reporter whose beat included public health, WVPB told her that her services were no longer required in a Dec. 20 meeting.

Knisely, who previously worked as a Report for America Corps member for the Charleston Gazette-Mail and non-profit online news outlet Mountain State Spotlight, joined West Virginia Public Broadcasting in September.

Several of Knisely’s stories over the last two years have focused on child welfare issues managed by DHHR, as well as a previous year-long investigation into the state’s foster care system and accusations of abuse in state facilities.

DHHR, an agency with more than $7.5 billion in state and federal funding and more than 4,900 full-time employees, has come under scrutiny for a number of issues culminating with the impending resignation of DHHR Cabinet Secretary Bill Crouch effective at the end of the year.

“It is crucial for the press to hold government agencies accountable,” Knisely said in a statement Tuesday. “It must be emphasized that these events followed my reporting on the mistreatment of people with disabilities, who are in state care.”

In a story published by WVPB on Nov. 3, Knisely wrote about a letter from Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, to Gov. Jim Justice seeking a formal investigation into allegations by Disability Rights West Virginia alerting lawmakers to alleged abuse of patients at William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital in Weston.

Accusations by DRWV included physical and verbal abuse of patients and neglect. DRWV also accused DHHR of failing to provide court-ordered updates to the organization. In his letter to Justice, Blair requested that DHHR share information requested by DRWV. Officials at DRWV have also accused DHHR of ordering employees not to talk to DRWV, with Crouch himself accusing DRWV officials of harassment for seeking documents they are required to receive by federal law.

According to a six-page letter sent Nov. 10 by Crouch to Butch Antolini, WVPB executive director, Crouch sought a full retraction of the Nov. 3 article. The letter was sent to 24 other people, including Knisely, though Eric Douglas, WVPB’s news director, was not copied on the letter.

Despite Crouch’s letter, WVPB has stood by the story, leaving it online and unchanged from when it was first published. But as of Dec. 6, Knisely was told she could no longer write stories about DHHR — the same day Knisely covered a meeting of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Health where DRWV Legal Director Michael Folio briefed lawmakers on issues with DHHR and Sharpe Hospital.

“My news director told me on Dec. 6 that I could no longer write about DHHR,” Knisely said. “This was after I wrote two stories on DHHR’s treatment of people with disabilities.

“On Dec. 6, my news director explained that my no longer being allowed to cover DHHR was an order from WVPB Executive Director Butch Antolini,” Knisely continued. “I was told that DHHR Secretary Bill Crouch and the agency spokeswoman Allison Adler contacted WVPB leadership and threatened to discredit WVPB if I continued reporting on the health department.”

A statement from Adler sent Tuesday evening did not directly address Knisely’s allegations. Knisely said she filed a complaint Dec. 15 with the human resources department at WVPB regarding the alleged threats.

In emails obtained from the Senate Clerk’s Office through a Freedom of Information Act request, top officials at WVPB interfered with a request by newsroom officials for legislative press credentials for Knisely the same day she filed her human resources complaint.

In a Dec. 15 email, WVPB Executive Producer Suzanne Higgins submitted a list of staff to the communications offices for the House of Delegates and state Senate that would need press credentials for the 2023 legislative session beginning Wednesday, Jan. 11. When questions arose about Knisely’s freelance reporting work for ThinkKids, a non-partisan think tank that focuses on children’s health issues, WVPB News Director Douglas said that Knisely does that work separately from WVPB.

“Amelia is a part time reporter for us,” Douglas wrote to House of Delegates Communications Director Ann Ali and Senate Communications Director Jacque Bland. “She does some additional work on the side but keeps that separate from any reporting she does for us. I keep a close eye on her work for us, as I do every reporter, and make sure there are no conflicts. I do expect she will serve a vital role in our legislative coverage.”

Legislative press credentials are required for being on the floor of the House and Senate during floor sessions. WVPB airs the annual State of the State address given the evening of the first day of the legislative session by all governors. Aside from general radio and TV reporting on legislative floor sessions and committee meetings, WVPB produces a daily TV program called “The Legislature Today,” often recorded from the Senate President’s Reception Room.

That same afternoon, Eddie Isom, the chief operating officer and director of programming for WVPB, wrote an email to Ali and Bland contradicting Douglas’s email and telling them that Knisely would not need legislative press credentials. Antolini was copied on the email, but Douglas – the news director – was not, nor was Higgins.

“Amelia Knisely is a part-time reporter and has not been given any assignments at this time for the upcoming legislative session,” Isom wrote. “We do not need credentials for her at this time.”

Isom’s email resulted in an email to Douglas from Bland, raising concerns about Isom’s involvement and for appearing to leave Douglas out of the decision-making process.

“… It was troubling to both Ann and to me because you’d already clearly said that Amelia was a valued part of the upcoming session coverage and she’d need credentials, which we’re both happy she’ll be around and working with you guys and that we can get her taken care of,” Bland wrote.

“(Isom’s email) came later this afternoon, and I noticed you’re conspicuously absent from it, and, well, that’s just not OK with me,” Bland continued. “You’re the news director, and you are the person who is in charge of your newsroom, period, and it feels kind of gross and shady to me that someone else would dip in and say that one of your reporters won’t have any assignments related to the session … I definitely wanted you to be aware that Butch and Pals were trying to stick their fingers in the pie.”

“Thank you both for letting me know about this,” Douglas responded in a Dec. 16 email. “While (Isom) was sending that letter, I was in (Antolini’s) office being told things had changed with Amelia. I don’t appreciate (Isom) going behind my back, but for now it is out of my hands. You don’t need to worry about credentials for Amelia after all. And you’re right, it does feel gross and shady.”

“My news director told me he learned from Antolini later that same day, Dec. 15, that my position was being eliminated,” Knisely said.

WVPB is a publicly subsidized news and educational broadcaster with several TV and radio stations around the state. While having its own leadership structure, WVPB is governed by the Educational Broadcasting Authority, established by the Legislature in 1963 and whose members are appointed by the governor.

Antolini was hired by the Educational Broadcasting Authority as WVPB executive director in December 2021 after previously working as communications director for the Governor’s Office.

Antolini declined to comment for this story.

DHHR has come under greater scrutiny over the last several years due to increases in negative health outcomes for West Virginians, high rates of substance use and drug overdoses, a large number of children in foster care and staffing shortages in key bureaus. A more than $1 million study released in November recommended adding new deputy secretaries, integration teams, and better communication between bureaus.

With Crouch leaving, Dr. Jeffrey Coben, the associate vice president for health affairs at West Virginia University and Dean of the School of Public Health, will serve as interim secretary of DHHR. Dr. Clay Marsh, chancellor and executive dean for Health Sciences at WVU, and James Hoyer, a WVU senior associate vice president, will also serve as advisers to Justice and DHHR as it searches for a new permanent cabinet secretary.

Since Coben’s appointment, a hiring freeze put in place by Crouch was lifted, hiring bonuses for Child Protective Services and social workers in counties with shortages were put in place, and an executive order now allows retired DHHR employees to return to work on a limited basis.

Starting at $2.99/week.

Subscribe Today