‘Punched, kicked, grabbed, and brushed up against’—nurse’s husband sues her employer after she was strangled on the job
The husband of a visiting Connecticut nurse who was killed during an appointment with a convicted rapist filed a wrongful death lawsuit Monday, alleging her employer repeatedly ignored worker safety concerns about treating dangerous patients.
Ronald Grayson filed a lawsuit against Elara Caring, its affiliates, and others for the murder of his wife, Joyce Grayson, a 63-year-old mother of six, was found dead in the basement of a halfway house in Willimantic on October 28. Authorities said she was strangled and sustained several blunt force injuries. Elara Caring, based in Dallas, Texas, denies the allegations.
“Over the years prior to October 28, 2023, employees of Elara Caring affiliated companies experienced multiple and repeated instances in which they were verbally, physically, and sexually harassed, assaulted, attacked, yelled at, chased, threatened, punched, kicked, grabbed, and beaten. Against Elara Caring's unsatisfactory patients mentally unstable and/or violent,” according to the lawsuit, which seeks undisclosed damages.
Instead of addressing nurses' concerns, the lawsuit alleges, the company encouraged employees to focus on increasing profitability while nurses were “berated, shamed and humiliated, leading to the belief that they were overreacting.” The employees “were required to treat patients who were dangerous, mentally unstable and, often, unsuitable for home health care services,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit filed in Middletown Superior Court also accuses the company of failing to implement a policy allowing escorts or other employees to accompany nurses when they visit potentially dangerous clients.
“Joyce Grayson’s death was completely preventable, and those who failed to protect her from a violent perpetrator must be held accountable,” said Kelly Reardon, an attorney for the Grayson family.
Elara Caringe called the allegations “unjustified” in a statement issued on Monday. The company says it provides home care to more than 60,000 patients in 17 states.
Joyce Grayson had an appointment to give medication to Michael Reese that morning. Reese, who was on probation after serving 14 years in prison for stabbing and sexually assaulting a woman in 2006 in New Haven, He is accused of murder and other crimes In the death of the nurse. His lawyers did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Ilara reiterated previous comments she had made, saying Connecticut officials determined that Reese did not pose a danger to the community and were responsible for monitoring and managing his activities.
“Elara Caring provided services only after the Connecticut Department of Corrections, the Board of Pardons and Parole, and the Judiciary determined it was safe to return Reese to the community,” the statement read. “Joyce Grayson was a trusted friend, colleague and mentor. We remain devastated and angry at her loss.”
The killing sparked a call for greater protections for home health care workers in Connecticut and across the country. Connecticut lawmakers are now considering a bill that would improve health care worker safety.
Grayson's family is also asking for permission to sue the state judiciary, which oversees probation, and the Department of Corrections for $25 million in connection with their supervision of Reese. The judiciary declined to comment, and the Department of Correction did not respond to messages. People who want to sue the state need approval from the Claims Commissioner's Office and the Legislature.
The lawsuit also names The Connection, which ran 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 The Connection continues to mourn her terrible loss,” she said in a statement. “We will let the legal process address the root causes of this tragedy.”
Last week, the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration He proposed fining Elara Caring about $161,000 After discovering that the company failed to protect Grayson.
