VA nurses aide is still employed despite manslaughter charges.

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 18:23:56 -0500

I guess I don't understand as much as I thought I did about the VA. Why in the world would they let anyone, much less a nurses aide, stay employed until the sentencing after beating a patient to death? I read more and more amazing articles everyday.
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Fredrick Harris, a nurse’s aide is still working at the Veterans Affairs Department hospital in Alexandria, Louisiana, despite charges that he beat 70-year-old veteran Charles Lee Johnson to death in 2013.

Though Francis Brian, Jr., the local coroner, found that Johnson had died of blunt force trauma, an internal VA investigation found his death to be accidental, according to The Daily Caller.

http://dailycaller.com/2015/12/09/va-nurse-still-on-payroll-despite-charge-he-beat-70-year-old-vet-to-death/

VA Nurse Still On Payroll Despite Charge He Beat 70-Year-Old Vet To Death

A 70-year old U.S. military veteran, Charles Lee Johnson, died ofan apparent beating by a Department of Veterans Affairs employee who continues to work in the hospitalmore than two years later as

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 11 at 2015 6:25 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 18:25:30 -0500

This is completely unbelievable. Any other job that aide would be fired before the story even broke to the media!

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 11 at 2015 6:26 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 18:26:27 -0500

It's because the death was ruled accidental.

Response by Sgt Kelli Mays made Dec 11 at 2015 6:27 PM

Sgt Kelli Mays — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 18:27:31 -0500

He's only being charged...he has not been convicted. For some reason, the VA closed the case after investigating....ruling it an accident....... There is obviously more to this story.

The article states there was a fight between the patient and employee. The employee had injuries as well....and was sent home to recover from his injuries.

It'll all come out during the trial...but for now if the VA see's fit to keep this guy on, then it's up to them.

Response by SPC Audreauna Cummings made Dec 11 at 2015 7:10 PM

SPC Audreauna Cummings — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 19:10:58 -0500

I will keep my opinions to myself until I have all the FACTS and not speculate.

Response by Sgt Spencer Sikder made Dec 11 at 2015 8:09 PM

Sgt Spencer Sikder — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 20:09:28 -0500

I'm a bit dumbfounded by this story. Hitting a patient, regardless, is grounds for immediate removal. The following is right out of VA's Handbook, 5021, Range of penalties (Google it). The worse that could happen is a removal, the least is a reprimand. Why not the removal just on the grounds of the fight??? Let the local jurisdiction take up the prosecution of the "former" employee then.

14. Abuse of patients or beneficiaries: Reprimand, Removal, 10 days
15. Fighting, threatening, attempting or inflicting bodily injury to another; engaging in dangerous horseplay. (Penalty depends on such factors as provocation, extent of any injuries, and whether actions were defensive or offensive in nature)
Removal Reprimand
10 days Removal
Removal

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 9 at 2016 10:21 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 10:21:05 -0500

That really doesn't surprise me. I work for the VA and we had a CNA assault a patient and gave him a black eye. I ended up reporting it. The boss told the CNA that she should drink less on the job so she isn't so rough on the patients. The boss also moved me to a different unit because I refused to edit my report and say that I made the incident up.