BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – The East Baton Rouge Council on Aging has fired two employees of its Meals on Wheels program following the alleged mishandling of 17 Meals on Wheels boxes, valued at approximately $1,000.
The agency has reported the matter to the Baton Rouge Police Department and said it intends to seek prosecution to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Employees accused of failing to deliver meals
According to the agency’s internal findings, the two employees allegedly failed to deliver their assigned meals to homebound seniors on Friday, Sept. 25, and Monday, Sept. 28. The meals allegedly remained in agency vehicles over the weekend and spoiled.
The employees are further alleged to have disposed of the boxes at the Mid-City Redevelopment Alliance warehouse in an attempt to conceal the incident.
CEO responds
“Our Meals on Wheels Program exists for one reason: to ensure that our seniors are fed, safe, and never forgotten,” said Tasha Clark-Amar, chief executive officer of EBRCOA. “These allegations describe a profound breach of the trust placed in us by our seniors, by their families, and by the public. The individuals involved were terminated immediately. We have met with law enforcement and will seek prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. EBRCOA will also be seeking full restitution. Theft and mismanagement will not be tolerated at any level of this organization.”
Replacement meals confirmed
EBRCOA has confirmed that all affected seniors will receive replacement meals, and the agency remains committed to serving every client without interruption…