Iowa: After finding her child and animals living in squalor - including two dead cats - DA gives school board member Kendall Derby, 51, probation

IOWA -- A Marshalltown school board member has taken a plea deal and been convicted of child endangerment and animal neglect.

The Marshalltown Times-Republican reports 51-year-old Kendall Derby was fined $625 and given a suspended one-year jail term for child endangerment.

She was fined $65 and given suspended 30-day jail sentences on each of two counts of animal neglect.

Two months probation - not even jail time - for the suffering and death of animals. Pathetic.

Derby pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor counts after prosecutors dropped eight other counts of animal neglect.


In September, police were asked to check the living conditions of Derby's 13-year-old child.

When authorities arrived at the home in the 200 block of North 3rd Street, they said they could detect a strong smell coming from the home.

Inside, officers found 10 animals in the house including two dogs and eight cats.  Two of the cats had died.

Authorities said there was animal feces throughout the home.

"There was two cats that did die, one some time ago and one recently. Kind of out in the open, you know you could see that they were there," said Capt. Brian Batterson of the Marshalltown Police Department.

Derby has been a member of the Marshalltown School Board since 2013.  Her term on the board runs through 2017.

District officials would not go on camera on Friday, but told St. Onge that because Derby's an elected official, they can't force her to resign or suspend her.

Derby has declined to comment on the case or her future status as a school board member.

(KCRG - Dec 24, 2015)