Baby Sema’j’s Funeral: Pastor Rips DCFS, Blames Agency For Child’s Tragic Death

JOLIET, IL — A Joliet pastor lashed out at the Department of Children and Family Services during his fiery eulogy at the funeral of baby Sema’j Lyric-Ma’Love Crosby.

“In my opinion, DCFS failed this family,” the Rev. Warren C. Dorris Jr. said during the Friday morning funeral at Prayer Tower Ministries Church of God in Christ.

A DCFS caseworker visited the Preston Heights home of Sema’j, her mother and siblings for an abuse investigation and left the house just before the 1-year-old girl was last seen alive about 4 p.m. April 25, police said.

Deputy Chief Rick Ackerson of the Will County Sheriff’s Department called the condition of the home “deplorable” and said numerous “squatters” occupied the rental home at any given time.

Sema’j’s mother, Sheri Gordon, didn’t call the cops until about two hours after her daughter disappeared, police said. A massive air, water and ground search was carried out for the next day and a half.

Sema’j was finally found around midnight the day after she vanished. Her corpse was hidden beneath a couch in her home, police said.

Sema’j’s body bore no signs of trauma. Her cause of death will not be announced until the results of toxicological tests are returned.

No one has been charged in connection with Sema’j’s disappearance or death, and the police have not publicly identified any suspects.

Dorris said DCFS Director George Sheldon was in Joliet at the same time he was conducting Sema’j’s funeral.

“At this very moment, the director of DCFS is at St. John’s Church, trying to tell us what happened and trying to seal the gaps,” Dorris said, suggesting the agency’s initials should stand for “Discounted Family Safety” and that “they should be held accountable for what happened here.”

Dorris also said he had a funeral program sent to the DCFS director since he “doesn’t have enough nerve to walk up in here.”

“I said, ‘You take this to him and tell him that they have failed,’ and if they have failed that family, they’ve failed other families.” Dorris said. “Somebody needs to be held accountable.”

DCFS spokeswoman Veronica Resa said she could not comment on Dorris’ remarks or Sema’j’s case.

Dorris also criticized the sheriff’s department, making reference to a visit deputies made to Sema’j’s house on Easter to investigate a report of domestic violence.

“When they arrived at the home they came across some kids outside playing with sticks,” the sheriff’s department said in a Facebook post. “They went inside and spoke to the mom and grandmother and found that everything was fine, however, a few of the kids were sad because they would not be going to their relative's house for Easter. The deputies realized that the five kids, ranging in ages from 3 to 9, had also not been visited by the Easter Bunny.”

The deputies went to a nearby store to buy candy and toys for the children, police said, which, according to Dorris, fell short of their responsibilities.

“And then I think we got to go to the sheriff and say, ‘OK sheriff. You took these nice bunnies and things to the children, but then you recognize that they were not being in a place, you recognize people are taking advantage of this mother, people are taking advantage of this mother in this home, but yet you walk in there, you walk in there and saw, and sheriff, you didn’t do anything to help this mother,’” Dorris said. “You didn’t do anything to help this family.”

Dorris, who was at one time on the Joliet City Council, also said the public should keep Sema’j in mind when voting.

“Sema’j is leading us,” he said.

“If the people who are supposed to protect us are not protecting us, we’re going to tell our elected officials that Sema’j has helped us to grow up,” Dorris said. “And if you don’t hold them accountable, when we go in the voting booth, Sema’j is going to tell you, ‘Don’t vote for that one.’”