Local

Woman accused of handcuffing child to porch fired from DSS supervisor job

The woman accused of handcuffing an 11-year-old to a porch with a dead chicken around his neck has been fired from her job as a Union County Department of Social Services supervisor.

Union County officials delivered a letter to Wanda Larson Friday in jail citing "conduct unbecoming of an employee … that is detrimental to the agency's service … and, gross oversight in the performance of her duties as a supervisor in the child protective services unit."

Officials said the conditions uncovered in Larsons' home are appalling.

On Monday, Channel 9 went to the county Human Resources Department and found Larson has worked for Union County DSS since March 2003.

She was promoted twice, most recently in December 2009 to Child Protective Services supervisor assigned to the investigative unit.

Her salary was set at more than $54,000.

Channel 9 also learned that she has been disciplined twice.

She was suspended in May 2012, but DSS would not explain why.

Last Friday, when she was arrested, she was suspended again until she was fired Friday.

Channel 9 also learned Friday that Union County deputies met with the five children Thursday who lived with Larson and Dorian Harper.

They won't disclose what was discussed, but investigators told Channel 9 before that the children were underfed, forced to sleep on the floor and endured unusual punishments while living in filth.

On Wednesday, Channel 9 spoke to the boy's biological mother who said she thought her son was in good hands, but she also said that there were signs something wasn't right.

Click to read the full story on the biological mother's interview here.

Read our original story from when the news broke here.