TACOMA, Wash. — Three workers at Western State Hospital, including a nurse whose ear was partially bitten off by a patient, are suing the state.
The News Tribune reports Bernia Garner, Karen Jolley-Arnold and Kaitlyn Tritt say they were injured by the same patient last year.
Their lawsuit says Christopher Jones had a history of sexually assaulting and targeting female staff and that the hospital knew and didn't address it appropriately.
The suit says Christopher Jones injured Tritt's hip, choked her and inflicted other injuries in March 2018 and that same month Jones injured Arnold by kicking her.
In September, Jones threw Garner to the ground and bit off part of her ear. Jones was charged with assault but was found incompetent to stand trial.
State Department of Social and Health Services spokeswoman Kelly Stowe said the agency doesn't comment on pending litigation. Western State is Washington's largest inpatient psychiatric facility.
