HAMILTON — Five employees of the Butler County MRDD have been suspended with pay after a police investigation into alleged abuse and neglect of clients.

        The suspended employees are from the Hamilton Center on Symmes Road, which is an adult activity center. The facility, which opened in December 1983, employs 50 people. The employees will receive a disciplinary hearing after investigations are complete, which is typical for employees placed on administrative leave.

        Officials at MRDD declined to name the employees involved or discuss the nature of the allegations because no charges have been filed.

        “It's difficult to get convictions because ... individuals with disabilities can't talk a lot of the times or it's not easy to understand what happened to them,” said Pam Long, spokeswoman for county's Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.

        Mrs. Long said MRDD felt the allegations were serious enough to ask police to get involved. She said the MRDD board has a monitoring system in place to report mistreatment of clients.

        The Ohio Attorney General's Office is also involved in the investigation, which began after a complaint was made to Hamilton police in November, said Sgt. Tom Kilgour, department spokesman.

        Butler County Prosecutor Robin Piper said his office has been asked to help authorities review the results of the investigation.

        Butler County Clerk of Courts Cindy Carpenter, who has a 14-year-old daughter with multiple disabilities, said news of the investigation has not shaken her confidence in the agency. Her daughter receives services through the MRDD board.

        “I have every confidence that they will remedy this situation,” Ms. Carpenter said. She later said, “I would not expect that you are going to find there are widespread problems here.”

Carrie's relatives win $3.75M award
Delta was dismal in December
Gen X politicians push for change
Tip led police to house where wanted man died
Corryville fighting negative image
RADEL: Police shooting
Workers suspended in abuse case
Hamilton cleans up its act
Third area school in shutdown; too many out sick
Bill aimed at telemarketing loopholes
CG&E bills add details this month
Chili cooks all fired up
County tax increase advised
Embezzler's husband indicted on new charges
Fairfield operating levy on ballot
Fired Villa Hills workers not getting unemployment aid
Hearing on light rail along I-71 corridor finds support
Judge OKs settlement over corneas removed at morgue
Kentucky's Medicaid budget said to be in critical condition
Lebanon may buy land atop aquifer
Lebanon ponders project
Mason judge to step down after 5 terms
Now, 'A' is for all-year schooling
Parents' godsend closes
Professor hospitalized after rescue from cave
Senator armed for 2002 challenge
Study trumpets benefits of light rail
Tristaters hurrying to aid quake victims
UK business school looking at new location
Kentucky News Briefs
Tristate A.M. Report