SUB-HEADING: "'We are in the middle of being bullied': 9 members of Child Protection Team call for end of 'toxic' work environment."
SUB-HEADING: "Nine members of the First Coast Child Protection Team are calling for child abuse pediatrician Dr. Barbara Knox to be removed from the team."
GIST: "Nine members of the First Coast Child Protection Team in Florida are speaking out about their boss, Dr. Barbara Knox, alleging a toxic work environment and concerns over her handling of child abuse cases.
These employees claim that Knox's actions are potentially jeopardizing investigations, and they accuse the University of Florida (UF) of ignoring complaints filed about her leadership.
Knox, a board-certified child abuse pediatrician, first caught our attention in 2024 when Corey and Diana Sullivan had their three children removed from their custody after bringing their baby to Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville for a swollen leg.
Knox diagnosed the baby with multiple broken bones and a liver laceration.
“She looked at me and said in my 30 years of experience the only way for a child to obtain this injury is for her to be punched repeatedly in the abdomen or she was dropkicked across the room,” Diana Sullivan said.
“And I looked at her and said what do you mean? She’s eight pounds. Wouldn’t we see any type of physical marks on her body? Wouldn’t she act like she is in pain? I mean she’s not showing any signs of pain or discomfort. Wouldn’t there be any type of discoloration or bruising if she’s bleeding internally? And she just kept saying no.”
The Sullivans believe their daughter was misdiagnosed.
A review by a geneticist suggested the child’s malnutrition in the womb led to weakened bones, making fractures more likely without excessive force.
While the Sullivans fight felony child abuse charges and fight to regain custody of their children, nine members of the First Coast Child Protection Team are coming forward with concerns about Knox, concerns they’ve raised in written complaints with the agency.
“We are here to champion the children. We’re here to protect those that can't speak for themselves, yet we are in the middle of being bullied and retaliated against,” one employee said, “How do you go to work every day and protect abused children when the abuse is being perpetrated against you and your peers?”
Alleged Retaliation and Work Environment Issues
The team members, who requested we not use their names or show their faces for fear of retaliation, described a hostile and unprofessional work environment.
While they could not discuss any specific cases due to privacy laws, they claim that Knox has created a pattern of bullying in the office, disregarding professional protocols.
“I mean there have been numerous times, and we all have been on call with Knox, and she will tell us not to call her past a certain time,” an employee said. “I have to staff this case about a kid with an injury, but I'm scared to call her because she told me not to, then what do you do?
It’s a complaint echoed in a December 2024 email from an employee who wrote “I received a call about a child’s death and another about a child with possible head trauma, both of which occurred after 10 p.m. I was left in an uncomfortable position, unsure whether to follow Knox’s instructions or prioritize the urgent needs of the patients.”
The team also expressed concerns about time-sensitive evidence collection in cases of sexual abuse or assault. “If she’s telling you not to call her, time's ticking and so that evidence could be lost,” one employee explained.
Past Allegations in Other States
These accusations are not isolated. Knox previously worked in Wisconsin and Alaska, where former colleagues reported similar behavior, according to published reports.
In Wisconsin, Knox was placed on paid administrative leave in 2019 due to workplace issues.
A letter obtained by Wisconsin Watch said, "The reason she was placed on leave did not relate to dishonesty, clinical skills, medical diagnostic abilities, or incorrect medical diagnoses." She resigned before an investigation was completed according to UW Health.
Knox then worked in Alaska where former employees made numerous complaints about her management and medical judgment, according to Wisconsin Watch and Anchorage Daily News. She resigned from her position in Alaska in 2022 and joined the University of Florida that same year. According to her offer letter from UF, she was hired for $280,000 annually for her faculty appointment.
“We first and foremost feel that UF was negligent in even hiring Knox, given her past,” an employee said.
Employees Fear Retaliation
Despite documenting their concerns and submitting them to UF, the employees feel their complaints have been ignored.
“She will indicate to other employees that this employee has mental health problems. They've gone off the deep end. They need to see a therapist. It's part of her M.O. It's what she does to every employee who she feels like is pushing back,” an employee explained.
Calls for Action and Accountability
The staff members believe Knox's behavior is negatively impacting the effectiveness and credibility of the First Coast Child Protection Team. “I think that there's a pattern of this behavior. It's not a coincidence that this has happened in two other states. If there's that many people coming forward, that's also not a coincidence,” one employee stated. “It's tarnishing the Child Protection Team reputation and our credibility.”
They are calling on the University of Florida and state agencies to act.
“I think had you asked us six months ago what we wanted to see, I think we would have said we want intervention, we want some leadership to come in and do team building, we want a professional reset,” an employee said. “At this point we see that there is no change … It’s not sustainable.”
All nine say they are now calling for Knox to be removed from the Child Protection Team.
“I don’t know of any other solution,” an employee said.
“You have nine people sitting here knowing very well that they could be signing their own letter of termination and they're all sitting here before you telling their stories. It's serious, and it needs attention and not only does it need attention, there needs to be action.”
The University of Florida’s Response
The University of Florida declined our request for an interview, but sent us a statement supporting Knox.
“Dr. Knox's expertise in her field is well-established, as are her positive contributions on behalf of children,” Steve Orlando, UF’s Associate Vice President for Communications said. "When she was hired by the University of Florida she met all conditions of employment, and she continues to do so. Dr. Knox is a key part of the faculty, and since her arrival her background and understanding in the field have enhanced our program and have made the community a safer place for children and their families."
Other Responses
The Florida Department of Health said it cannot confirm nor deny the existence of any investigation into a healthcare practitioner until ten days after probable cause is found.
We also reached out to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
“We have seen no issues with cases as a result of the individual in question. As a result of the information received, we will closely monitor the steps taken at the First Coast Child Protection Team to identify potential internal issues – and determine if steps should be taken on our end,” Police officer M.A. Morel said.
The entire story can be read at:
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog.
SEE BREAKDOWN OF SOME OF THE ON-GOING INTERNATIONAL CASES (OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL USA) THAT I AM FOLLOWING ON THIS BLOG, AT THE LINK BELOW: HL:
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/4704913685758792985
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FINAL WORD: (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases): "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."
Lawyer Radha Natarajan:
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;
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FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions. They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!
Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;
