A disturbing criminal case that was purportedly covered up has recently surfaced in Albany. The New York authorities allegedly discovered that a disabled teenager was assaulted in 2013 by one of the staff members at a developmental center. Four additional staff members face criminal charges for allegedly attempting to cover up the incident. The assault has left the 18 year old with a serious head injury.
In Oct. 2013, the investigators claim that a staff member assaulted the disabled teen. Any motive that the police may have formulated to explain the reason for the assault has not been made public. Additionally, details concerning the assault itself were not provided. Regardless, the authorities believe that instead of reporting the incident, the state facility attempted to cover it up.
One individual was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault. He and three other employees face felony charges for falsifying records. A fifth individual is accused of falsely reporting an incident. Each individual was arraigned, and all have pleaded not guilty. They were all released until time for the criminal proceedings to move forward, and four are currently under probation supervision.
The assault on the young man left him with a head injury, which caused a concussion and a seizure. While the criminal proceedings are underway, the teen’s family could elect to file a New York personal injury suit against the developmental facility. They could file the suit by claiming that the facility was negligent in its care of the teen, and it was negligent for not reporting the incident and following the proper protocol. The family could attempt to claim damages, such as pain and suffering, as well as for any medical bills that have resulted from this incident.
Source: Newsday, “5 Sunmount Developmental Center staff charged in assault on disabled teen in NY, authorities say”, April 10, 2015
