INSPECTIONS. WHAT WE HAVE UNCOVERED HERE IS
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. SERIOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW
WELL WESTERN ADMINISTRATORS
POLICE THEIR OWN EMPLOYEES.
AT WESTERN STATE HOSPITAL THE
STATE OWNED MENTAL INSTITUTION
IN LAKEWOOD, GATES SWUNG SHUT
BEHIND A CRIMINAL DEFENDANT WHO
DID NOT WANT TO BE LOCKED UP
AND TREATED THERE.
GARY LOWELL OF OLYMPIA.
>> I BEGGED HIM TO GIVE IT A
CHANCE. I
CHANCE. I
CHANCE. I BLAME MYSELF A LITTLE BIT FOR
WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE I REALLY
WANTED THIS TO WORK FOR HIM.
SHE SAYS IT WASN'T LONG AFTER
HER SON DISAPPEARED BEHIND
WESTERN STATE WALL.
>> HE IS BIPOLAR,
SCHIZOPHRENIC.
SCHIZOPHRENIC. >> Reporter: SHE REALIZED
SOMETHING UNUSUAL WAS GOING ON
WITH HIS COUNSELOR.
THE COUNSELOR TESTED -- TEXTED
MICHELLE WITH MESSAGES ABOUT
HER.
HER.
HER. >>
HER. >> I
HER. >> I LOVE HIM MORE THAN ALL THE
FISH IN THE OCEAN.
JUST WEIRD.
JUST WEIRD. THE FIRST IT FELT LIKE MAYBE
HER WEIGHT OF KEEPING HIM CALM.
>> Reporter: EVENTUALLY GARY
ADMITTED HIS COUNSELOR
INITIATED SEXUAL CONTACT AND
DELIVERED ILLEGAL DRUGS TO HIM
ACCORDING TO INVESTIGATIVE
DOCUMENTS.
DOCUMENTS. THE RECORD SHOW THAT WHILE HE
WAS A PATIENT THE COUNSELOR
ASKED HIM TO PUNCH HER IN THE
FACE SO SHE COULD GET PAID TO
HAVE THE SUMMER OFF.
THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE CHARGE --
CHARGED JULIANNA JACKSON SHE
AGREED TO ASK -- TO -- HER SON
EXPIRED -- HER SON PLUNGED INTO
TWO SUICIDE ATTEMPTS AT
WESTERN.
WESTERN.
WESTERN. >> THIS IS THE SYSTEM I WANTED
HIM TO TRUST.
>> SINCE JULIANNA JACKSON LOST
HER COUNSELING LIES IN DECEMBER
SEVERAL OTHER NURSES OR NURSING
ASSISTANTS HAVE ALSO BEEN
CHARGED WITH MISCONDUCT THAT
CAN COST THEM THEIR LICENSES
THEY INCLUDE UNDER A POLICE
INVESTIGATION AFTER HE
ALLEGEDLY GAVE PHOTOS OF
HIMSELF, HIS HOME AND HIS BED
TO A FEMALE PATIENT A SUSPECT
IN A KIDNAPPING CASE HE WROTE
THIS LETTER TELLING HER HE HAD
PLANS FOR US TO GO OUT AND
ENJOY LIFE TOGETHER AND GROPED
AND KISSED HER ACCORDING TO
POLICE REPORTS.
POLICE REPORTS. THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AND
HEALTH SERVICES RUNS WESTERN
STATE.
STATE.
STATE. IS
STATE. IS THERE A PATTERN HERE.
>> WE HAVE ALMOST 2500
EMPLOYEES IS ONE OF THE LARGEST
INSTITUTIONS WEST OF THE
MISSISSIPPI CERTAINLY THE
LARGEST MENTAL HOSPITAL.
WE EXPECT ALL OF OUR STAFF TO
BEHAVE PROFESSIONALLY.
BEHAVE PROFESSIONALLY. THE OVERWHELMING PERCENTAGE OF
THEM DO.
THEM DO.
THEM DO. WESTERN STATE HOSPITAL IS ONE
OF THE MOST CHALLENGING PLACES
TO WORK.
TO WORK.
TO WORK. EMPLOYEES HAVE HIGH INJURY
RATES FROM VIOLENT PATIENTS.
IT IS UNDERSTAFFED AND AFTER
SEVERAL FAILED INSPECTIONS, THE
FEDS JUST CUT OFF ALL FUNDING.
CASES LIKE GARY LOW'S ARE NOT
ABOUT A FEW BAD APPLES ACCORDING
TO HIS LAWYER.
>> IT APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM
THAT IS SYSTEMIC THROUGHOUT THE
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM. >> Reporter: WESTERN STATE
SUPERVISORS HAD AT LEAST TWO
COMPLAINTS FILED AGAINST GARY'S
COUNSELOR BY OTHER EMPLOYEES.
THEY WORKED ON THE SAME WARD
WITH JULIANNA JACKSON AND
REPORTED THAT SHE VIRTUALLY
ABANDONED HER TWO DOZEN OTHER
PATIENTS AND SPENT ALL HER TIME
WITH GARY.
WITH GARY. >> THEY DECIDED THERE WAS NO
MERIT TO WHAT WAS BEING SAID
AND THEY DID NOT PURSUE IT
FURTHER EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS
CLEAR STATEMENTS THEY HAD SEEN
ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, SHE
ENGAGED IN MISCONDUCT.
>> Reporter: THAT ONLY CHANGED
WHEN AN OUTSIDE AGENCY, THE
WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH, CAME INTO INVESTIGATE.
INVESTIGATOR SAID HE IS
ROUTINELY HINDERED AND DELAYED
IN HIS INVESTIGATIONS BY
WESTERN STATE STAFF, INCLUDING
INTERNAL INVESTIGATORS THERE.
HE QUESTION THE INTEGRITY AND
TRUTHFULNESS OF ONE
INVESTIGATOR WHO MISLED HIM
ACCORDING TO E-MAILS WE RECEIVE
THROUGH OUR RECORDS REQUEST.
>> THIS IS THE FIRST I HAVE
HEARD OF THAT I HAVE NOT SEEN
THAT SPECIFIC ALLEGATION.
IF WE HAD AN ALLEGATION LIKE
THAT WE WOULD TAKE ACTION.
>> Reporter: THE COMPLAINT
DETERMINED UNFOUNDED BY WESTERN
STATES INTERNAL INVESTIGATORS
UNTIL THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
CAME ALONG.
CAME ALONG. >> HE SAVED HIM.
FOR MORE TIME IN THAT PLACE.
TWO WESTERN EMPLOYEES WERE
FIRED AFTER THE JULIANNA
JACKSON INVESTIGATION.
JACKSON INVESTIGATION. JACKSON DID NOT RESPOND TO E-
MAIL SEEKING COMMENT FOR THE
STORY.
STORY.
STORY. DHS AS IT DID NOT KNOW ABOUT
ONGOING CONCERNS THE DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH SAYS WE TOLD THEM AND
YOU DO HAVE TO WONDER WHY THERE
IS A BREAKDOWN IN COMMUNICATION
OFF HIS PLATE WHERE THE STATE
SAYS IT HAS BEEN WORKING SO
HARD TO FIX PROBLEMS LATELY.
>> HE WAS THERE ON A COURT ORDER
HOW DID HE DO?
>> THAT IS AN INTERESTING POINT
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT
INVESTIGATOR ACTUALLY SHOWED UP
AT A HEARING AND TOLD THE JUDGE
ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED.
ALL CRIMINAL CHARGES WERE
DROPPED AND THE JUDGE
APOLOGIZED AND RELEASED GARY TO
HER WITH THE CONDITION THAT HE
CONTINUE