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Tha Consequences Of Whistle Blowing

“No Good Dead Goes Unpunished” September, 1980

Charles V. Hogan Regional Center, Hathorne, Massachusetts

I really liked my job as a Recreation Therapy Assistant at Hogan Regional Center. Every day when I arrived I was greeted  by enthusiastic residents running towards me, touching my arm, hugging me- I felt like a rock star. For many of the people who lived there the recreational activities I took them on was the only chance to leave their dormitory between meals. I tried my best to be fair and balanced in scheduling “structured leisure time activities” for the residents and documented their participation monthly. For the most part I got along well with the other team members. Towards the end of the summer there was some tension that developed with 2 of my coworkers Scott and Harlan.

We had a planned trip to the Science Museum scheduled. Harlan and Scott decided it would be fun for the Recreational Therapy Staff to take LSD before driving the individuals into Boston. I didn’t think that was such a great idea and after failing to persuade them against that plan I notified our supervisor Rosemary. Scott and Harlan were angry and Scott stopped inviting me to join him for beers after work. That didn’t bother me too much….Scott had really liked me and had wanted  to date me when we first met. At the time I liked this girl Charlene and Scott used to brag about having slept with Charlene’s brother in law, causing an abrupt end to her sister Cheryl’s marriage. I was kind of relieved he wouldn’t try to hit on me anymore.

I was unaware that Scott had a nastier plan for payback. One Thursday I was assisting staff with dinner and encountered one of our coworkers Lorrie sitting on a woman from the dormitory and pulling her hair. Lorrie was more than twice this woman’s weight and I was scared she would injure her. ” Uh, Lorrie…I don’t think sitting on this lady and pushing your knees into her vagina is an approved restraint”. “You got a fuckin’ better idea?” she retorted. I promptly reported the incident to the dorm supervisor & wrote a report. A few days later I was called to speak with the supervisor. I thought I was going to be interviewed about Lorrie and the complaint.  I was shocked to find myself being interrogated….”You’re really physically affectionate with the residents and  Scott says you were sexually involved with one of them”. I was shocked and sickened by the allegations and wanted to go to the union. Most of the staff were “physically affectionate” with the individuals on our dorm…for many of these folks there were no involved family outside…if we didn’t hug them or pat them on the back no one else would. But that didn’t phase me as much as Scott’s sick lie. Ultimately I would change dormitory assignments and no hearing occurred. I was demoralized and drained.  Within months I regretted not taking the matter to the union and proving my innocence, as I would be the subject of gossip and conjecture for a very long time.

A few months after I left working at Hogan I went back to visit. As I entered the Adult Unit I saw Lorrie. She was talking with her supervisor and crying because someone had reported that she had struck one of the female residents…again. A few weeks later Harlan shot and killed his girlfriend. He went to prison, hopefully for a very long time.

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Written by PaulPallazola

6 Comments

  1. We have had similar cases in the UK – eventually a place like this will get closed down because the appropriate inspection authorities will hear the truth. Where will they hear it from? Whistleblowers like you – all power to your elbow.

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    • Thank you Indexer. Over time I have seen improvement in the care and treatment of individuals with developmental disabilities. America has moved away from institutional care and towards decentralized person
      centered options. I hope that trend continued.