Missouri teacher seeks guardianship for former student

Special education teacher Rita Richards is advocating for guardianship of her former student, Zack

by Matt Flener

CLAY COUNTY, Mo. —  Rita Richards showed up with a group of people to speak at a Clay County Commission business meeting last month.

The special education teacher had one mission: to ensure the county commission knew her concerns about her former student, Zack.

Zack became a ward of the state in 2014.

Richards invited him to her family get-togethers and holiday celebrations to stay in touch with him when he was put under public guardianship.

During that time, she started noticing concerns about his living conditions, hygiene, and safety.

His current guardian is Clay County Public Administrator Alexa Summit. Summit has held the office since 2021. Before then, two other public administrators oversaw Zack’s care.

A judge has reviewed Zack’s case multiple times and kept him under public guardianship through the Clay County Public Administrator’s office.

Richards told the county commission about her experience advocating for her former student.

"I was pushed out,” she said. “I was not allowed to visit anymore. They didn't want to hear my concerns.”

After Richards spoke to commissioners, KMBC 9 Investigates asked Summit to comment on Zack's case.

An attorney responded on Summit’s behalf.

"We do have to respect the confidentiality of the individuals that the public administrator's office is tasked to serve as guardian and conservator for,” said attorney Paemon Aramjoo. “We are therefore unable to provide comment on a specific case or the individuals involved."

PAPER PRISONS: Public guardianship in Missouri under investigation

Richards contacted KMBC 9 Investigates after seeing KMBC’s “Paper Prisons” investigation last year. The ongoing investigative series explores problems and solutions for Missouri’s public guardianship system, which serves as a societal backstop for people who struggle to find safe care with friends or family.

The work of Missouri’s public administrators, who act as public guardians, often goes unnoticed in probate courts, phone calls, and long trips to visit wards across the state. They are tasked with heavy caseloads in Missouri’s 114 counties and the City of St. Louis.

Often, those wards are placed into facilities hours from where they once called home.

In Clay County, a recent performance audit found the Public Administrator was responsible for 309 wards, as of 2023.

More than half of those live within the radius of Clay, Platte, Ray, Jackson, Cass, Lafayette, Pettis, Saline, Johnson, and Carroll counties, the audit found.

But at least 117 wards live in other counties across the state.

“It would be my preference to place all individuals in Clay County but due to the lack of resources, this cannot be accomplished,” the public administrator’s office told the Clay County Auditor. “We will continue to evaluate all wards to ensure they are in the most suitable and least restrictive environment. We will also continue to stay aware of resources in our community and advocate for quality care for each person.”

Public administrators are assigned caseloads from judges when hospitals, nursing homes, family, or friends recommend court-approved placement for individuals to keep them safe, fed, and housed.

But public guardianship has also come under fire in Missouri from the United States Department of Justice for unnecessarily institutionalizing people in nursing homes.

Judges give Missouri public administrators wide control of wards' lives when they believe family or friends can no longer care for them. They are required to file yearly reports with the court about care plans for their wards.

Clay County public guardianship oversight next steps

The county commission began appointing the public administrator after the 2020 general election changed it from an elected to appointed position. Circuit court judges now recommend a person for the role.

Richards told the commission she could serve as Zack's guardian, noting that she has not had response from Summit in years.

"I've sent 33 emails and I've had zero responses," she said.

Richards told the commission she found in court documents that Zack was stabbed by his roommate in 2025.

During the meeting, she also asked people concerned about public administrator guardianship om Clay County to stand in support. Dozens of people stood behind her.

"Zack's survival should not be the end of this story,” Richards also said from the podium. “It should be the beginning of accountability.”

After the meeting, she told KMBC she felt the commission listened to her concerns and hopes commission members will establish an independent review board to keep the public administrator's work in check.

If you know of someone going through struggles with Missouri’s public guardianship system, or if you have a case to highlight that exposes solutions for Missouri’s public guardianship system that could teach lessons to others, please email investigates@kmbc.com

Full Article & Source:
Missouri teacher seeks guardianship for former student 

See Also:
Missouri woman shares journey of restoration from public guardianship