Thread: 269 punished last year for mistreating disabled

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269 punished last year for mistreating disabled

By JEFF CARLTON Associated Press
June 12, 2009, 8:05PM


DALLAS — Nearly 270 employees were fired or suspended for abusing or neglecting residents of large, state-run institutions for the mentally disabled in Texas, according to records obtained by the Associated Press.

The revelations Friday come a day after Gov. Rick Perry signed legislation aimed at improving security and oversight at the 13 institutions, known as state schools. They are home to about 4,600 residents and more than 12,000 full-time employees.

Documents obtained by the AP through an open records request show that 11 of the 268 firings or suspensions were considered serious because they involved physical or sexual abuse that caused or may have caused serious physical injury. Employees may also be fired for a violation as mild as neglecting to protect a resident with mobility problems from stumbling into a wall.

“I think what the number of firings and suspensions say is we do not tolerate abuse or neglect in our state schools,â€

I hope these scumbags spend quite a bit of time in jail and getting some of that same abuse! They don't deserve to be called human beings for preying on the mentally and physically handicapped.

Unfortunately, there are still quite a few people who treat the disabled as less than human.

Hopefully, those who were abusive will be convicted of a violent crime and have to go to a high security prison with violent offenders. Maybe then they'll learn a thing or two about being abused.