State revokes license of center where man died

State officials Thursday revoked one of the licenses of the Bucks County facility where a severely autistic man died in a sweltering van, and ordered eight other clients who lived in the same unit to be removed from the campus.

The Department of Public Welfare also banned Woods Services, the Langhorne residential care center, from accepting new clients until the department completes its investigation into the death of Bryan Nevins.

In a letter to the Woods Services president, Deputy Secretary Richard Gold cited what he called "gross incompetence, negligence and misconduct" by employees there that led to Nevins' heat-related death last month.

The revocation applies to just one of 37 licenses held by Woods Services for its Langhorne campus. Most of the nearly 1,400 special-needs clients aren't affected.

A spokeswoman for Woods Services said the facility denied any wrongdoing and disputed the department's findings. "Woods will appeal these preliminary determinations," spokeswoman Cheryl Kauffman said in a statement.

Nevins, 20, was found dead after nearly five hours in a van at the campus on July 24, one of the hottest days of the summer. Despite his age, he had the mental capacity of a toddler, according to his parents.

Bucks County prosecutors have charged a counselor, Stacey Strauss, with felony neglect and other counts. They say she was responsible for Nevins after Strauss and a coworker escorted him and three other clients to Sesame Place that day.

Through her attorney, Strauss has denied any wrongdoing.

The welfare department will be working with the families and other local service agencies to find "suitable accommodations" for the others, department spokesman Michael Race said.

Earlier this week, Gold, who oversees the Office of Children, Youth and Families, called the death "a totally avoidable tragedy."