The Bristol County (Mass..) District Attorney has released a final report on the June drowning death of Marie Joseph and, as of press time, criminal charges were being sought against two individuals employed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, which operates the pool.
Joseph drowned June 26 in the Veterans Memorial Pool at Lafayette Park in Fall River, Mass. Her body was not discovered until two days later due to poor water quality.
The report cites numerous systemic failures, including management disregard for standards and regulatory requirements.
The DA announced that his office is seeking to charge Brian Shanahan and Jeff Carter with reckless endangerment of a child. Shanahan resigned from his position as regional director for the DCR following the incident, and Carter, DCR SouthCoast district manager, was placed on administrative leave.
Prior to the release of the DA’s report,a review by the Boston Globe found numerous water quality violations at many of the pools operated by the DCR. A final report from the DCR is expected to include policy changes to ensure more stringent adherence to standards and regulations.
