Sexual Abuse at NHC Facility Reportedly Ignored
A Virginia licensing board has accused two current NHC-Bristol staff members and a former nursing director of ignoring reports of sexual abuse and discouraging others from reporting allegations of sexual abuse.
The alleged abuser, James Wright, was a former nurse's aide at the facility. He entered an Alford plea to four counts of aggravated sexual battery. An Alford plea acknowledges that there is evidence sufficient to convict the defendant without admitting guilt and is treated as a guilty plea by the court.
NHC - Bristol Administrator Charlotte Wilson, Nursing Supervisor Helen Roberts, and former Nursing Supervisor Elizabeth Franklin are accused of ignoring sexual abuse allegations and discouraging sexual abuse reporting. Wilson is accused of failing to investigation reports of sexual abuse of residents between 2000 and 2008; her failure affected twelve residents. She is also accused of failing to pass on reports to resident's physicians or to Adult Protective Services. Wilson reportedly set up a chain of command to dead end abuse reports, which is a violation of state law.
Both Roberts and Franklin attempted to discourage a resident's daughter from filing a complaint surrounding sexual abuse.
