been referred by the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, and asked for an appointment to discuss the problem.210 She mentioned that a truancy hearing had been held and said that Lee would not attend school despite the threat of official action; she thought that his behavior was due to difficulty in adjusting to his new environment.211 An appointment was scheduled for January 30, but she failed to appear, and the case was closed.212 Sometime in February, the Pies visited the Oswalds. John testified that his mother told him about Lee's truancy and asked how she could get Lee to accept psychiatric aid. Nothing came of these discussions.213

On March 12, the attendance officer in charge of Lee's case filed a petition in court which alleged that Lee had been "excessively absent from school" between October and January, that he had refused to register at Public School 44 or to attend school there, and that he was "beyond the control of his mother insofar as school attendance is concerned? 214 On the same day, Mrs. Oswald appeared in court alone and informed the presiding judge that Lee refused to appear in court.215 Evidently impressed by the proceedings, however, Lee did register at Public School 44 on March 23.216 Nevertheless, on April 16, Justice Delany declared him a truant, and remanded him to Youth House until May 7 for psychiatric study.217

In accordance with the regular procedures at Youth House, Lee took a series of tests and was interviewed by a staff social worker and a probation officer, both of whom interviewed Mrs. Oswald as well.218 Their findings, discussed more fully in chapter VII of the Commission's report, indicated that Lee was a withdrawn, socially maladjusted boy, whose mother did not interest herself sufficiently in his welfare and had failed to establish a close relationship with him.219 Mrs. Oswald visited Lee at Youth House and came away with a highly unfavorable impression; she regarded it as unfit for her son.220 On the basis of all the test results and reports and his own interview with Lee, Dr. Renatus Hartogs, the chief staff psychiatrist, recommended that Lee be placed on probation with a requirement that he seek help from a child guidance clinic, and that his mother be urged to contact a family agency for help; he recommended that Lee not be placed in an institution unless treatment during probation was unsuccessful.221

Lee returned to court on May 7. He and his mother appeared before Justice McClancy, who discussed the Youth House reports with them.222 He released Lee on parole until September 24, and requested that a referral be made to the Community Service Society for treatment.223 The probation officer called the society on the same day but was told that. it would probably not be able to take the case because of its already full case load and the intensive treatment which Lee was likely to require; 224 it confirmed this position 1 week later and dosed the case on May 31.225 An application was made to the Salvation Army also, which turned it down because it could not provide the needed services.226