Abilene State School Employee Claims She Was Unjustly Fired
By: Jessica Reyes
Updated: December 2, 2011
An Abilene State Supported Living Center employee is speaking out, saying she was unjustly fired.
Laura Walton worked there for more than two years before she was charged with two counts of neglect and fired on October 28.
"This is my passion, this is what I wanted to do. And I feel like they took it away from me. There are so many gaps missing in the investigation, timewise," she said.
A woman in her care required direct supervision, but only at certain times.
"When she is agitated, staff has to be with her. When she's calm for 30 minutes, she can come and go as she pleases and we don't need to follow her," she said.
On September 22, Walton said the woman had been calm and free to be on her own.
"She told us she was going next door. That's not unusual. She goes over there quite often, everyday," she said.
A few minutes later, Walton got a call saying the woman had injured another resident.
"She threw one of the ladies down on the ground, causing an abrasion on her head," Walton said.
The next day, an investigator from the Department of Family and Protective Services interviewed Walton. She was fired five weeks later.
"Her employment was terminated based on the confirmation of an allegation of neglect that led to the serious injury of a resident," said Cecilia Fedorov, Press Officer for the Department of Aging and Disability Services.
Walton was charged with two counts of neglect: one for the woman in her care, and one for the woman who was injured. The neglect charges aren't criminal, but put her on a registry that blacklists her from any job in the healthcare field.
"They'll see that I have two neglect charges on me and I cannot be hired. There's no extra income for my family. I'm wondering how I'm going to buy Christmas for my kids. Rent, car payments, all that. It's a struggle," she said.
Walton filed a rebuttal and grievance with the Department of Aging and Disability Services.
In order to work in healthcare again, she would have to be cleared on both neglect charges. The process could take longer than four months.
Laura Walton worked there for more than two years before she was charged with two counts of neglect and fired on October 28.
"This is my passion, this is what I wanted to do. And I feel like they took it away from me. There are so many gaps missing in the investigation, timewise," she said.
A woman in her care required direct supervision, but only at certain times.
"When she is agitated, staff has to be with her. When she's calm for 30 minutes, she can come and go as she pleases and we don't need to follow her," she said.
On September 22, Walton said the woman had been calm and free to be on her own.
"She told us she was going next door. That's not unusual. She goes over there quite often, everyday," she said.
A few minutes later, Walton got a call saying the woman had injured another resident.
"She threw one of the ladies down on the ground, causing an abrasion on her head," Walton said.
The next day, an investigator from the Department of Family and Protective Services interviewed Walton. She was fired five weeks later.
"Her employment was terminated based on the confirmation of an allegation of neglect that led to the serious injury of a resident," said Cecilia Fedorov, Press Officer for the Department of Aging and Disability Services.
Walton was charged with two counts of neglect: one for the woman in her care, and one for the woman who was injured. The neglect charges aren't criminal, but put her on a registry that blacklists her from any job in the healthcare field.
"They'll see that I have two neglect charges on me and I cannot be hired. There's no extra income for my family. I'm wondering how I'm going to buy Christmas for my kids. Rent, car payments, all that. It's a struggle," she said.
Walton filed a rebuttal and grievance with the Department of Aging and Disability Services.
In order to work in healthcare again, she would have to be cleared on both neglect charges. The process could take longer than four months.
