Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Federal lawsuit on behalf of women patients in Nebraska mental hospitals

U.S. District Judge Lyle Strom certified a class action on behalf of "all women who were subjected to sexual assault, harassment, exploitation and physical assault while in the care and custody" of the State of Nebraska.

Hundreds of women will be allowed to join the lawsuit which alleges that patients were sexually assaulted, groped or harassed or were inadequately treated while patients at the state's three mental hospitals located in Lincoln, Norfolk, and Hastings.

The class includes women who are current or future residents at the hospitals.

Nebraska Advocacy Services spokesman said at least 100 women were sexually abused or assaulted at state facilities from 1998 to 2004. The brief filed in support of the class action included six pages of incidents including sexual abuse of women by male staff and male patients. It stated that a male staff member who "raped, sexually assaulted and sexually abused numerous plaintiffs had a felony criminal record and an employment record involving sexually inappropriate behavior" before the state hired him.

The suit also alleges that more than 200 women have not received adequate treatment.  According to the Omaha World Herald, the Nebraska Attorney General's Office and the Nebraska Health and Human Services System have declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Lincoln Regional Center patients complained that an employee assaulted them in 2001.  Another lawsuit was filed in 1995 by four women who claimed male patients raped them at the hospital in Hastings.  The settlement of the 1995 case required the state of provide better supervision and trauma therapy for women at the centers.

A trail has been scheduled to begin October 31.