Paris Hilton Vs. Jamaican Gov't Corruption?

Hilton Has Fought Atlantis Leadership Academy Over Abuse Allegations, But A.L.A.'s New Lawyer Has Serious Gov't Connections.

Atlantis Leadership Academy and its staffers, now charged with criminal child abuse, have retained Mr. Dirk Harrison, who was acting head of corruption prosecutions for Jamaica’s Integrity Commission and is married to Jamaica’s top child-welfare official (Commonwealth Caribbean Association Integrity Commission & Anti-Corruption Bodies, fair use).

Paris Hilton flew to Jamaica last month as part of her continued advocacy for institutionalized children. Authorities had just raided the Atlantis Leadership Academy (A.L.A.) and removed eight American kids. According to those authorities, the children had visible signs of abuse and neglect. Five A.L.A. staffers have been criminally charged.

“I was shocked at how horrific the allegations were,” Hilton told Newsweek. “When I found out that the boys asked for me to come and support them at their next court hearing in Jamaica, I dropped everything to ensure I could be there. […] No child deserves to testify about the abuse they have suffered alone, especially in a foreign country.”

To advocates like Hilton, A.L.A. is part of the “troubled-teen industry,” a loose network of residential institutions widely accused of child abuse and well-known for fatalities. A number of the industry’s institutions market to American families while operating outside the country.

Some of A.L.A.’s former residents have been repatriated. Most, however, remain in state custody in Jamaica. A hearing is scheduled tomorrow that may determine whether they are returned to the U.S., continue in Jamaican state custody or are placed in foster care or other living arrangements.

A.L.A. and its five staffers have retained attorney Dirk Harrison. Harrison, in turn, has publicly criticized the investigation and questioned its integrity.

But others question Harrison’s integrity. According to the Commonwealth Caribbean Association’s Integrity Commission & Anti-Corruption Bodies, Harrison is married to Diahann Gordon-Harrison, the top child-welfare official at Jamaica’s Office of the Children’s Advocate (O.C.A.).

The O.C.A., in turn, handles mandated child-abuse complaints in Jamaica for the same types of accusations now leveled against Harrison’s clients. For unspecified reasons, the A.L.A. investigation went through Jamaica’s federal Constabulary. It entirely bypassed the O.C.A.

MartyG Reports spoke to an attorney licensed in the United States about how such a situation would likely be handled in America. The attorney noted that an American public official would likely have to recuse herself from any official matters regarding her spouse’s legal clients. Such recusals provide some assurance to the public of the integrity of government conduct by reducing an attorney’s opportunities to peddle influence or otherwise abuse his spouse’s public office to benefit his clients.

So far, Gordon-Harrison has not publicly recused from any matters involving A.L.A. or the five staffers facing criminal charges. The O.C.A. would still be the appropriate authority to which to report past, present or future child abuse at A.L.A. Gordon-Harrison did not immediately reply to an email seeking comments as to appearances of impropriety or influence peddling or whether she would abdicate her role as to A.L.A.

Diahann Gordon-Harrison (Office of the Children’s Advocate, government photo, fair use)

In Jamaica, government officials’ conflicts of interest and appearances of impropriety are investigated by the Integrity Commission. That may be great news for Gordon-Harrison.

Dirk Harrison was the Integrity Commission’s acting chief corruption prosecutor from February 2018 through September 2019. Earlier still, according to Harrison’s online profile, Harrison was “a Deputy Director of Prosecutions at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Jamaica) with special responsibilities for the Anti-corruption Unit, Coroners Unit, Head of the Environment Law Unit[,] and he was one of the Government Experts for Jamaica for the implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption Review Mechanism.”

The Integrity Commission has not responded to notification it received this morning of Dirk Harrison’s and Diahann Gordon-Harrison’s relationship while child abuse allegations pend against Harrison’s clients.

The situation also presents possible ethical issues for Mr. Harrison. Jamaica’s professional conduct rules for attorneys say attorneys should “avoid even the appearance of professional impropriety.”

Mr. Harrison did not immediately reply to an email seeking comments as to Ms. Gordon-Harrison’s role and appearances of impropriety or influence peddling.

Hilton’s publicist Jill Fritzo did not answer an email seeking comments.

This is a developing story. Subscribe, below, for updates.