CW: Abuse & Neglect
Leah is autistic and doesn’t speak. She lives in a group home. In 2021, signs of neglect were obvious. Leah lost weight and used sign language to try to ask for help.
Teachers were alarmed by a change in Leah’s behavior and contacted her mother. She had become aggressive and agitated. Subsequent medical exams revealed that she had severe tooth decay. Unfortunately, her teeth were “unsalvageable,” according to medical records.
Employees of The Special Children’s Center in Lakewood, NJ, told Leah’s mother that she wasn’t receiving her medication for acid reflux regularly. They also failed to provide her with daily oral care.
When antipsychotic medications failed to calm her, group home workers who “needed a break” from her disruptive behavior locked her in her room or took her to the local hospital’s psychiatric unit. Her mother shared records and text messages with NJ Advance Media. Another text message featured a photo of a rope strung from her daughter’s bedroom doorknob to a railing, preventing her from fleeing.
The final confrontation occurred one night in January 2022 when the teen’s mother and her oldest daughter visited the group home. A security guard barred them from entering, claiming they needed to schedule an appointment. According to a police report and an audio recording made by Leah’s family, her mother requested assistance from the Lakewood Police Department in accessing the home.
What they witnessed startled them. While bathing her, they could see Leah’s ribs. Her bones appeared to be peeking through her papery skin, her mother remarked. Shortly after that, on February 2, 2022, a Center employee drove Leah to Monmouth Medical Center South in Lakewood and dropped her off.
The next day, the Center’s Executive Director, Chaya Bender, emailed Leah’s mother, informing her that she would not be allowed to return. “Current circumstances have made it impossible for the program to continue to meet (Leah’s) needs safely,” the email said.
State Human Services officials refused to back up allegations of abuse or medical negligence against the Center in two investigations despite receiving letters from doctors who evaluated and treated Leah and stated that there was no other explanation for her weight loss and unsalvageable tooth damage.
Families, disability advocates, and parents have long questioned the thoroughness and objectivity of state investigations into abuse and neglect, believing the bar is set too high to demonstrate harm. Cases like Leah’s highlight broader issues that advocates say must be addressed to protect residents of New Jersey group homes. In its most recent annual report, the New Jersey Ombudsman for Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and Their Families detailed meeting with a large number of families who are angry that no one is held accountable when their loved ones are abused.
Aidan Burke came to school in May 2022 with scabbed-over scratches on his chest, grayish bruises on his back, and a deep, strawberry-red abrasion line circling his neck. The young man with autism cannot speak, leaving the origin of his injuries a mystery. All Aidan’s mother knows is that he must have been injured at his Oaks Integrated Care group home in Sicklerville, Camden County, New Jersey.
Amber Williams of Illinois has cerebral palsy. She was left to sit in her own waste. Her teeth weren’t brushed regularly, and she went days without being bathed. As a result of poor hygiene, she has developed recurrent bladder infections. Broadstep, which runs the group home, discharged Williams because her needs were extensive, according to her sister Brittany.
Unfortunately, abuse is common among disabled people, especially in group homes or other residential settings. The Disability and Abuse Project, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit dedicated to eliminating physical, sexual, and emotional abuse of people with developmental or intellectual disabilities, gathered crucial data on this topic. In a nationwide survey, they received almost 7,200 replies.
The results were shocking. 70% of group home residents with developmental disabilities had been neglected, assaulted, or subjected to physical or sexual abuse. More than half of these people reported to have been physically abused, with 41% reporting sexual abuse.
Kim Oakley placed her autistic son James in a group home in California after not receiving enough support to manage his complex needs at home. While living at the group home, James was left unsupervised. Subsequently, he sustained a hematoma to his ear following an episode of self-injurious behavior, which required surgery to repair.
Kim ultimately decided to bring James back home and began a years-long fight for services. In addition to autism, James also has epilepsy and requires protective supervision around the clock. He receives in-home nursing care. The family had to fight for years to receive nursing care for James. Families shouldn’t have to fight for years to receive services.
Disabled people deserve to live free from abuse. There is no justifiable reason to abuse, neglect, or kill disabled people. Those charged with caring for some of the most vulnerable members of society should never abuse them.
Sources:
Children and Adults with Developmental Disabilities have same legal rights under the Lanterman Act”. YouTube, uploaded by Kim Oakley, 4 Mar. 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw-MMb66GnM
Livio, Susan K. “Abuse of Disabled People in N.J. Group Homes Persists as Accountability Lags, Watchdog Says.” NJ.com, Advance Publications, 25 May 2022, https://www.nj.com/news/2022/05/abuse-of-disabled-people-in-nj-group-homes-persists-as-accountability-lags-watchdog-says.html.
Livo, Susan K. “Alone, Autistic and Afraid.” NJ.com, Advance Publications, 1 Feb. 2024, https://www.nj.com/news/2024/02/alone-autistic-and-afraid.html?outputType=amp
Olsen, Dean. “Woman with Disabilities Criticizes Group Home for Bad Care.” Illinois Times, Central Illinois Communications LLC, 13 Apr. 2023, https://www.illinoistimes.com/springfield/woman-with-disabilities-criticizes-group-home-for-bad-care/Content?oid=16703260.
“Vulnerable Children and Adults in Group Homes Face Risk of Abuse.” The Yost Legal Group, 10 July 2019, https://www.yostlaw.com/vulnerable-children-and-adults-in-group-homes-face-risk-of-abuse/.