Inclusion Daily Express -- Institution Workers Video-Recorded Fights After Goading Residents To Brawl

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Institution Workers Video-Recorded Fights After Goading Residents To Brawl
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
March 10, 2009

CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS--Several residents of Corpus Christi State School were forced to fight each other in the middle of the night, while shift workers laughed and video-recorded the brawls, according to local police.

"I’ve been in police work for 30 years, and I’ve never seen something like this," said Corpus Christ Police Captain Tim Wilson. "These workers are exploiting them for their own entertainment."

Wilson is investigating the allegations along with the Office of Inspector General of Texas Health and Human Services.

Wilson's office received a cell phone last week from a citizen that said it was found along a road. The phone reportedly has at least 20 separate videos dating from 2007 to just last month, showing young men with intellectual disabilities engaged in fighting similar to that in the movie "Fight Club".

"The fighting entails pushing, wrestling and some shoving," Wilson explained.

Wilson, who has refused to release the video to the public, said many of the men are just seen standing around in the facility's 'day room', at first.

"They are being more goaded into it. There's a lot of voices on there from workers . . . saying, 'Look at that, ha ha' . . . laughing, stuff like that."

While none of the men are recorded crying or appearing injured in the videos, none of the 10 or so state employees on the videos are seen stopping the fighting either.

"I've heard of isolated incidents before," Wilson said, "but what's most appalling is that it's obvious this is organized."

Wilson added that it was not yet clear whether employees gambled on the outcome of the fights, or whether the images were uploaded to the Internet.

The Dallas Morning News reported Tuesday that at least eight employees have been suspended pending the investigation. Two others have been fired, and two have resigned.

Wilson said that he expects to file criminal charges by the end of the week.

Responding to the news, state officials immediately halted admissions to Corpus Christi State School while the investigation is underway.

Governor Rick Perry's office also ordered video cameras to be installed immediately at all 13 state-run institutions that house people with intellectual disabilities, and that more security officers, overnight supervisors, and surveillance camera monitors be placed in the facilities.

In the fiscal year that ended last August, the Corpus Christi facility had nearly 1,000 allegations of abuse, neglect or mistreatment. Sixty of those were confirmed.

The allegations came to light just as the state Senate unanimously approved a measure to provide extra protections for several thousands of people housed in Texas institutions.

A report by the U.S. Department of Justice revealed in December that residents at Texas institutions are often victims of abuse, neglect and inadequate medical treatment -- and that at least 53 died just within the past year from inadequate medical care. Lack of adequate staffing has been blamed for much of the trouble.

For years, several disability rights groups have called for some or all Texas institutions to be shut down, and the residents to be moved to homes in the community.

Related:
Police: Disabled forced to fight in Corpus Christi school (Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6303104.html
Corpus Christi State School investigated after 'fight club' videos of residents found
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/news/2009/red/0310d.htm