New Concerns Over Lakeside Group Home's Supervision
Residents Say Clients At Group Home Owned By Steven LeFort Not Supervised Enough
Posted: 09/22/2010
Last Updated:
977 days ago
A new discovery is raising more concern over supervision at the group home at the center of a molestation case in Lakeside. 10News has uncovered a rape case at another home operated by psychologist Dr. Steven LeFort.Dr. LeFort granted 10News exclusive access to the inside of one of his Lakeside group homes to show how his clients are evaluated and to address several allegations.LeFort explained the point system his facilities use daily to assess the mentally challenged clients: the fewer marks a client receives, the more freedom they are granted, while the higher the clients points, the more closely they are watched."We're not a perfect organization," said LeFort. "We examine what we could do that is better."He said that despite a lengthy criminal history and sexual battery conviction in 2009, he did not see registered sex offender Joseph Cantorna as a threat to anyone and feels his agency provides adequate supervision of each individual client.Still, residents still feel Cantorna was not receiving adequate supervision."Joe Cantorna was acting out several days in a row before this incident," said Lakeside resident Kent Kopperud. "Someone wasn't paying enough attention."Documents obtained by 10News showed LeFort's nonprofit organization Expanding Horizons has been in compliance since it was created in 1993.However, documents show that on June 12 of this year, the group home where Cantorna was living received several citations from licensing regarding "failure to provide adequate care and supervision."LeFort said he is appealing all charges.Also, in 2003, LeFort settled out of court regarding accusations of rape at one of his Lakeside group homes involving two of his clients."That is something that happened 10 years ago," said LeFort. "I feel it has no bearing on this case."The father of the two boys Cantorna is accused of fondling, whose identity is being protected, reacted to LeFort's apology."I believe that this guy doesn't really care," said the father.When asked if the apology meant nothing to him, the father said, "It really didn't."