Yates County officials plan to hold a press conference on Thursday in response to a New York Times investigation involving a sheriff’s deputy and the handling of a 2023 child abuse case.
According to county leaders, District Attorney Todd Casella, Sheriff Frank Ryan, and other county officials will speak to provide context to the Times report, which raised concerns about Deputy Megan Morehouse’s investigative work and the disciplinary actions that followed. Casella has previously said his 2023 personnel complaint against the deputy was not handled properly under the prior administration and that mistakes in the investigation contributed to a child being returned to an unsafe home.
Sheriff Ryan has acknowledged errors were made but has defended the discipline imposed, saying it followed the department’s progressive discipline system.
Officials say the press conference is intended to outline what went wrong in the case, clarify how the situation was handled at the time, and explain changes made within the sheriff’s office since then.
Deputy Morehouse remains employed by the department, though the district attorney says he will no longer call her as a witness in criminal cases.
Have all the Finger Lakes news from Finger Lakes News Radio delivered to your email every morning for FREE! Sign up by clicking here
