Surely Brian Abraham, Gov. Jim Justice’s chief of staff, saw last Thursday’s press conference going better than it did. In moderating the in-person press briefing, his aim was purportedly clearing up questions about how Kyneddi Miller’s case was handled leading up to her death at age 14 in Boone County.

What followed was a standout example of bureaucracy over common sense, coupled with appalling disorganization and poor communication.

West Virginians got to listen to the governor’s chief of staff call the actions of an on-the-ground local Child Protective Services worker “stupid,” while blame was heaped “at the county level” for poor communication and disorganized decision-making that led to a failed attempt to halt the press conference.

Meanwhile, we learned a since-retired state trooper went with their gut in 2023 and deemed their suspicions about what was happening to Miller important enough to travel to the regional CPS office and speak with a CPS worker in person. Abraham said the investigation determined that in doing so, the trooper did not follow protocol. Apparently, the trooper should have called the Department of Human Services child abuse and neglect hotline, where calls from law enforcement are given priority.

In a twist worthy of Iran-Contra testimony, the CPS worker does not recall meeting with the trooper.

Doubling down on the choice to focus on “protocol,” rather than children and the humans who really are trying to help them, DoHS Cabinet Secretary Cynthia Persily talked about which calls to the hotline might be worthy of action.

“If the referral meets the criteria set out in law for abuse and neglect, there will be an investigation as we currently do,” she said.

One wonders whether it has occurred to her that an investigation might help determine if the case met the criteria, or whether an experienced state trooper’s instincts might be worth considering.

Solutions to prevent another death are hard to come by. Abraham and Persily want to focus on the hotline — 1-800-352-6531. Yes, of course, those who suspect child neglect or abuse, particularly mandated reporters, should use it.

Surely DoHS will forgive them if not all Is are dotted and Ts crossed when they do so. After all, a person whose gut is telling them a child is in danger is worried much more about the safety of the child than about “protocol.”

And it is encouraging to note lawmakers are being asked to consider steps that would better protect children who are being homeschooled.

But until public officials give the impression they are more worried about doing all they can to prevent another such tragedy than about covering their own backsides, it will be slow going. Mountain State residents can only hope change does not come so slowly that for some other child, it is too late.