The Grand Traverse County prosecutor has cut ties with a prominent children’s advocacy organization.
The Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center responds to crimes against children in six counties, conducting interviews with victims and providing therapy services.
On Friday, the TBCAC released a statement saying Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg stepped down from its board, along with three other board members.
Additionally, the statement said the Grand Traverse County prosecutor’s office severed all ties with the TBCAC, which helped them during investigations.
Moeggenberg told IPR News that as a board member, she was concerned about transparency from leadership, and the center’s budget, which she says is in the red.
She felt that she and her office couldn’t continue their affiliation.
“I want to be really clear when I say that the services that are being provided right now to the children — I don’t have any issues with that at all,” Moeggenberg said in a phone interview. “We have forensic interviewers there that are phenomenal, and the therapy services they provide are really top notch. … It’s issues with leadership, and if things don’t change, I’m fearful they’re going to lose more good people and the services are going to suffer.”
Moeggenberg also said she tried to handle her concerns behind the scenes before stepping down, and that while her concerns pre-date CEO Lisa Migazzi’s time in charge, she asked for Migazzi’s resignation and other leadership changes.
Moeggenberg resigned from the board on May 11, along with three other board members.
Reached Friday evening, Migazzi said the TBCAC passed all audits of finances and services, and that the remaining board members have complete trust and confidence in the CEO.
The final written report is not yet available for the most recent audit conducted by the Michigan Division of Victim Services.
But Migazzi told IPR that the verbal summation from the team "was overwhelmingly positive with no substantial recommended operational or reporting changes."
She said she doesn't yet know exactly how all of this will affect the center's ability to work with children in Grand Traverse County. Since opening in 2010, Migazzi said the center has done more than 3,500 forensic interviews with children, including safety checks.
In a statement, the TBCAC said it's concerned that Moeggenberg stepping down and severing her office’s ties with the group “may result in denying hundreds of children in Grand Traverse County access to trauma-informed, professionally trained child forensic interviews.”
Moeggenberg said there are well-trained interviewers on staff within the sheriff’s office who can carefully conduct interviews with children.
And she says they’ll also keep working with other providers and partners in the area to get donations for trauma therapy services and advocate for young victims.
The TBCAC is urging Moeggenberg to reverse her actions “in the best interest of children in our community."
"We love and value our partners, and we want nothing more than to do the right thing for the children and the families in our community," Migazzi told IPR. "We’re hoping we can do that together because we know that’s what’s best for the community and the kids."
Moeggenberg, meanwhile, told IPR she’d consider coming back to the table if there was a change in leadership.
