A former Child Protective Services caseworker believes that implicit bias and a workforce crisis may have played a role in the death of a 6-year-old New Jersey boy allegedly killed by his father. The mother of the boy, Bre Micciolo, reported suspected abuse more than 100 times in 18 months but no action was taken before the child’s death. Jessica Pryce, author of “Broken: Transforming Child Protective Services,” emphasized the need for CPS to take accountability for the incident. Corey Micciolo died from blunt force trauma and lacerations to his heart and liver, with his father, Christopher Gregor, facing charges of first-degree murder for forcing his son to run on a treadmill, resulting in his death. Pryce highlighted the high caseworker turnover and implicit bias against marginalized parents as potential factors that may have led to the reports being ignored. She called for transparency from New Jersey’s child welfare agency regarding any errors that may have led to the tragic outcome.
