2 Girls Charged In Nursing Home Harassment

Minn. Teens Charged After Allegedly Mocking, Spitting On Nursing Residents With Alzheimer's

(AP)  Two teenage girls who worked at a nursing home have been charged with abuse, accused of taunting, spitting on and groping residents who suffered from Alzheimer's disease.

According to the criminal complaint, filed Monday, 19-year-old Brianna Broitzman and 18-year-old Ashton Larson laughed earlier this year as they spat in residents' mouths, poked and groped their breasts and genitals, and at times mocked them until they screamed.

Broitzman and Larson, who worked as part-time aides at the home, have been charged as adults.

Larson's father disputed the charges against his daughter in a statement issued to and read on NBC's "Today" show Thursday.

"Not all of the charges are as they appear. Much of this has been distorted by the news media," Michael Larson said in the statement.

"My daughter was doing nothing more than performing the duties of her job."

No one answered the phone Thursday morning at Broitzman's home. There was no information in court records on attorneys for either teen.

Four other teens who worked with them at the Good Samaritan Society were charged as juveniles for failing to report the incidents.

A total of eight teens were allegedly involved in the incidents, but there was no record of criminal charges being filed against two of them.

Broitzman and Larson are charged with assault, abuse of a vulnerable adult by a caregiver, abuse of a vulnerable adult with sexual contact, disorderly conduct and failing to report suspected maltreatment. All are gross misdemeanors.

If found guilty, Broitzman and Larson "most likely will face suspended jail sentences and probation, so they'd have the threat of jail hanging over them if they get in more trouble," Freeborn County Attorney Craig Nelson told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis.

The Minnesota Department of Health released a report in August showing that 15 residents with Alzheimer's disease or other dementia disorders were abused at the facility between Jan. 1 and May 1.

According to the complaint filed Monday, one of the aides said the group gathered at work or school to "talk and laugh about the incidents."

Mark Anderson, administrator at the Good Samaritan Society in Albert Lea, told WCCO-TV that the past few months have been difficult for the staff, the home's residents and their families.

"We are just really thankful that the proceedings are moving forward and hopefully can see some closure to this whole process," Anderson said.

[rrozsa-2009]

To cbsfan7331 -- I like the way you think. That is the only punishment that would mean anything to this type of brat.

[rrozsa-2009]

to stella 1952 -- well said!

[grammawhamma]

"Broitzman and Larson, who worked as part-time aides at the home, have been charged as adults."


These girls are 18 and 19...what else would you charge them as? Digusting spoiled brats!

[ladyephesus1]

Probation is definitely not enough for these teenagers. They need to learn early that this is unacceptable in any job or in life general. Many people will be outraged if they only get probation.
I would never speak for any of my children before the facts are presented. This parent needs to sit his arse down and listen!

[djberson]

The headline uses the word "Harrassment", but this is really abuse. Harrassment? Puh-lease!!

[runningralph]

These stupid girls are so typical. They get tattoos, pierce their skin, breed indiscriminately, dress like ******, take drugs, quit school.Their boomer parents are paralyzed from guilt because of the rotten things the boomers have done and teenagers know if the parents try to discipline them they can be arrested. This trend started with liberals taking over college campuses in the sixties.

[ammermantm]

Good ol'' Minnesota nice. unreal what some people find funny

[ahhhthesouth]

Disgusting, I think the father should lay low and find out all the facts for himself before he speaks. He''s just as bad as the mothers they always show screaming at the police "my baby is a good boy!" AS for the home they should reconsider their policy of hiring teenagers, apparently they are not mature enough to handle this kind of job.

[stella1952]

This case is egregious on so many levels! Having read both the report filed by the state & the statement of charges filed by law enforcement, this case is far more disturbing than reported.

The DA''s attitude about this is reprehensible! If ANY of those girls had been sexually touched the same way as they did those 15 elderly patients, the perps would be charged with FELONIES. If a child had been treated this way by a day-care worker, there would be mobs of angry parents screaming for their blood! The selective law enforcement here is blatant! If these had been males or minority males, they''d have been in jail in AUGUST! Are these girls too "pretty" to be held responsible for their CRIMES?

This is a glaring example of discrimination against the rights of elderly people & disabled individuals!

This story was reported in AUGUST. The charges were brought in December. WHERE was the press on this one?

People need to pay some attention to how elderly people are being treated! The concept that employees of this age are hired as low-cost labor to care for cognitively impaired elderly people is LUDICROUS. Despite the "training" they received, these girls all knew that what they were doing was WRONG.

For the father who made excuses for his daughter''s behavior, I hope karma is swift.

This is so wrong on so many levels and folks had better wake up - the Boomers are fixin'' to be sorry they are turning their heads from the unpleasant issue of eldercare, elder discrimination and elder abuse.

[matrixrx2003]

My Mother died of Alzheimer''s disease and Parkinsons, she just slowly faded away.

Even if these LOW LIFE TEEN AGE GIRLS DID 1/2 OF what was said in the article they deserve to be charged with assult and what ever and spend some time in JAIL.

Did their Parents teach them any kind of Respect ?

[hologram5]

"Not all of the charges are as they appear. Much of this has been distorted by the news media," Michael Larson said in the statement.
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HUH? Get a clue, looks pretty straight forward to me. Looks like some idiot teenagers got in trouble and now daddy is trying to fix it. Let them go to jail and learn a hard lesson. Show respect to your elders as you WILL be one some day...HAHA

[jimbmc]

This is the most outrageous thing I have ever heard. What could these girls and their friends been thinking. I think the families of the people they abused should get a very nasty attorney and turn them loose on these twisted girls. Then their punishment should be living in the same location where they abused these defenseless people for a year.