Washington CYS director resigns after Greensburg foster mom charged

The former director of the Greene County Children and Youth Services, who Greensburg police allege in 2012 scuttled a potential investigation into a foster mother now charged with raping a teenager in her care, resigned Thursday from a similar position she held in Washington County.

Dee Dee Bosnich-Gooden, who left the Greene County job in 2013 and took the CYS deputy director's job in neighboring Washington County, submitted her resignation Thursday morning to Human Services Director Tim Kimmel.

“I'm not sure of her complete rationale for the resignation, but given the ongoing criminal investigation into the matter while she was in Greene ... we accepted it,” Kimmel said.

“I will also tell you that we have been pleased with her work here as deputy director of CYS,” he added.

On Tuesday, Greensburg Detective Sgt. John Swank charged Joelle M. Barozzini, 46, of Greensburg, with raping the foster child “hundreds” of times between 2009 and 2013 when he lived with her, according to court documents.

Barozzini, 46, is accused of sexually assaulting the boy, then a teen, at her home and at a hotel where the pair stayed to visit his father in a state prison, police said.

Employees at CYS in Greene County, where the teen's family lived, told investigators that in 2012 a caseworker reported their suspicions of an inappropriate relationship to Barozzini's employer, Pressley Ridge, according to a police affidavit.

However, when Blosnich-Gooden heard the caseworker's concerns had been forwarded to Pressley Ridge, the caseworker “received a written reprimand from Blosnich-Gooden and was required to take ethics classes,” according to the affidavit.

No report was made to ChildLine, police said.

Foster children continued to be placed in Barozzini's care. Her home was considered a community residential rehabilitation therapeutic foster home in 2009. She was placed on administrative leave from Pressley Ridge when the allegations resurfaced in 2016, police said.

Blosnich-Gooden is named in the affidavit but is not charged. Swank said the investigation is ongoing.

Barozzini is charged with rape, institutional sexual assault, corruption of minors, and endangering the welfare of children.

She was released on $50,000 recognizance bond following her arraignment before Senior District Judge James Albert pending a preliminary hearing June 1.

Paul Peirce is a Tribune-Review staff writer. He can be reached at 724-850-2860, ppeirce@tribweb.com or via Twitter @ppeirce_trib