The husband of a Connecticut visiting nurse who was killed during a meeting with a convicted rapist filed a wrongful death lawsuit Monday, accusing her employer of repeatedly ignoring workers’ safety concerns while treating dangerous patients.
Ronald Grayson is suing Elara Caring, its affiliates and other companies over the murder of his wife, Joyce Grayson. The 63-year-old mother of six was found dead Oct. 28 in the basement of a transitional dormitory in Willimantic. . Dallas, Texas-based Elara Caring denies the allegations.
“In the years leading up to October 28, 2023, employees of Elara Caring affiliates were verbally, physically and sexually harassed, beaten, assaulted, yelled at, chased, threatened, punched, kicked, grabbed and And brush beat.
Instead of addressing the caregivers’ concerns, the company encouraged employees to focus on improving profitability, while the caregivers were “punished, shamed and gaslighted, leading them to believe they were overreacting,” the lawsuit said. The lawsuit alleges that staff were “required to treat patients who were dangerous, mentally unstable and often unfit for home health services.”
The lawsuit, filed in Middletown Superior Court, also accuses the company of failing to enforce a policy that allowed escorts or other staff to accompany nurses on visits to potentially dangerous clients.
“Joyce Grayson’s death was completely avoidable, and those who failed to protect her from violence should be held accountable,” said Kelly Reardon, an attorney for Grayson’s family.
Elara Caring called the accusations “baseless” in a statement released on Monday. The company said it provides home care to more than 60,000 patients in 17 states.
Joyce Grayson made an appointment to give Michael Reese his medicine that morning. Reese, who is currently on probation after serving 14 years in prison for stabbing and sexually assaulting a woman in New Haven in 2006, was charged with murder and other crimes in the nurse’s death. His attorney has not yet responded to a message seeking comment.
Elara reiterated previous comments, saying Connecticut officials determined Reese did not pose a danger to the community and were responsible for monitoring and managing his activities.
“Elara Caring will provide services only after the Connecticut Department of Corrections, the Board of Pardons and Paroles, and the judiciary determine that it is safe to return Reese to the community,” the statement read. “Joyce Grayson is a deserving person. A trusted friend, colleague and mentor. We remain devastated and angry at her passing.
The killing sparked calls for more protections for home health care workers in Connecticut and across the country. Connecticut lawmakers are currently considering a bill aimed at improving health care worker safety.
Grayson’s family is also asking for permission to sue the state Department of Justice and the Department of Corrections, which oversee probation, for $25 million over their supervision of Reese. The Justice Department declined to comment and the Department of Corrections did not respond to messages. People who want to sue the state need approval from the Office of the Claims Commissioner and the Legislature.
The lawsuit also names “The Connection,” an organization that runs a community-based treatment program at the halfway house where Grayson was killed. The provider declined to comment on the lawsuit’s allegations.
“Joyce Grayson’s death was a senseless crime, and WIRED will continue to mourn the immeasurable loss she has suffered,” Wired said in a statement. “We will let the law prevail. program to address the root causes of this tragedy.”
Last week, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed fining Elara Caring about $161,000 after finding that it failed to protect Grayson.
