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"Fight club" Investigated at Home For the Disabled

By Beth Janicek

Seven employees at a state-run home for the mentally disabled in Corpus Christi have been suspended for staging a "fight club" where disabled residents were forced to shove, punch, and strike each other.

Corpus Christi Police Captain Tim Wilson said that the fight club was uncovered when someone gave a cell phone containing videos of the fights to an off-duty police officer. The videos, which date back to 2007, show mentally disabled male clients fighting each other while the employees watched.

Wilson said, 'It's pretty appalling. I've been in police work over 30 years and I've never seen anything like this. These people who were charged with caring for these clients were exploiting them for entertainment.'

The videos show seven current and four former employees, most of which have been identified. The current employees have been placed on emergency leave pending the investigation and charges are expected to be filed later this week.

Laura Albrecht, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services, which oversees state school institutions said, 'Any abuse or neglect of residents placed in our care will not be tolerated.'

In addition to the Corpus Christi Police, the abuse allegations are being investigated by Texas Adult Protective Services, the Health and Human Services' office of Inspector General, and the Nueces County District Attorney.

These allegations are just the latest claims of abuse to surface in the long-troubled state school system. They come as the Texas Legislature has begun taking measures to improve these institutions. These measures include requiring fingerprinting, background checks, and random drug testing of all state school employees. Lawmakers even want to create an ombudsman to investigate injuries and deaths and to oversee an abuse-and-neglect hot line.

These measures, while they are a step in the right direction, are not enough to improve these troubled institutions. People with disabilities deserve the same amount of respect and care that anyone would expect to receive; and it is important to take every measure possible to make sure that they are well taken care of. Governmental immunity will protect these employees and the state hospital from a personal injury claim by any patients injured by this incident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Beth Janicek

Full post as published by San Antonio Personal Injury Lawyer on March 12, 2009 (boomark / email).