Home / Crime and Justice / Caregiver Assaults Vulnerable Resident at State Facility
Caregiver Assaults Vulnerable Resident at State Facility
4 Jul
Summary
- A resident with autism was seriously injured by a staff member.
- A lawsuit alleges the state failed to protect residents from harm.
- The facility has a history of abuse allegations and proposed closures.
A resident at Rainier School, a state-run facility for individuals with developmental disabilities in Pierce County, suffered serious injuries when a staff member punched him in the eye last year. The resident, identified as 41-year-old Shawn Hassig, who has non-verbal autism and an intellectual disability, sustained a broken orbital bone and required hospitalization.
A lawsuit filed on June 25 alleges that the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), which operates Rainier School, failed in its duty to protect Hassig and adequately train its caregivers. The employee involved, Zachary Zydek, a 26-year-old attendant counselor, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault in March and received unsupervised probation. Zydek admitted to overreacting after Hassig became agitated.
Hassig's legal team states that the incident highlights a clear failure of the public agency, emphasizing the vulnerability of the resident. DSHS has declined to comment on the ongoing litigation. Zydek's employment with DSHS concluded the day after the assault. Hassig has reportedly shown signs of post-traumatic stress disorder following the incident.
This incident occurs against a backdrop of past abuse allegations at Rainier School. While legislation last year proposed closing the facility, it remains open but cannot accept new residents, alongside Yakima Valley School. Proponents argue for the critical role of these facilities in providing care that community-based alternatives allegedly cannot meet.
