Police: Fired Lab Worker Says Boy Bit First
Woman Admits Bite On Child's Shoulder, Authorities Say
POSTED: 12:49 am EDT September 27, 2007
INDIANAPOLIS -- A former lab technician admitted to investigators she bit an autistic boy during a blood test, but she added that the 3-year-old had bitten her first, Indianapolis police said Wednesday.
The county prosecutor's office will determine whether charges will be filed against the technician, who was fired after Friday's incident at St. Vincent Hospital, 6News' Rafael Sanchez reported.
The boy's mother, Faith Buntin, took him to St. Vincent for a blood test because of recent recalls of toys involving lead. Buntin told 6News that as the technician restrained the boy so a colleague could draw blood, the worker restraining the child put her mouth on the boy's shoulder.
Buntin said the worker told her, "it was just a play bite," and that the boy wasn't hurt.
"I did hear her ... comment to her colleagues, 'That's the way we treated kids at the group home.' And I thought to myself, 'Glad my child is not in a group home,'" Buntin told 6News.
Buntin said she overlooked the incident because her son was crying over the testing. Back at home, she said, she saw teeth marks on his left shoulder.
Her husband drove the boy back to the hospital, where he was prescribed antibiotics. The family filed a report with police and is seeking criminal charges.
The fired technician told investigators that she bit the boy after he bit her arm. She said she has a bruise to prove her claim, police said.
The technician worked for Mid America Clinical Laboratories, a subcontractor that does blood work for St. Vincent. In a faxed statement Wednesday, Mid America said it doesn't "condone the behavior of the laboratory employee."
"Based upon our findings, we have taken appropriate action," the company said. "We are cooperating fully with the authorities and St. Vincent Hospital and we cannot comment further due to the ongoing investigation."
Police said the fired technician has expressed remorse. Attempts by 6News to reach her for comment weren't successful.
Buntin said her son is autistic. She said he was supposed to start preschool this week, but she and her husband are keeping him home because he has clung to them since Friday's incident.
The county prosecutor's office will determine whether charges will be filed against the technician, who was fired after Friday's incident at St. Vincent Hospital, 6News' Rafael Sanchez reported.
The boy's mother, Faith Buntin, took him to St. Vincent for a blood test because of recent recalls of toys involving lead. Buntin told 6News that as the technician restrained the boy so a colleague could draw blood, the worker restraining the child put her mouth on the boy's shoulder.
"I did hear her ... comment to her colleagues, 'That's the way we treated kids at the group home.' And I thought to myself, 'Glad my child is not in a group home,'" Buntin told 6News.
Buntin said she overlooked the incident because her son was crying over the testing. Back at home, she said, she saw teeth marks on his left shoulder.
Her husband drove the boy back to the hospital, where he was prescribed antibiotics. The family filed a report with police and is seeking criminal charges.
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The fired technician told investigators that she bit the boy after he bit her arm. She said she has a bruise to prove her claim, police said.
The technician worked for Mid America Clinical Laboratories, a subcontractor that does blood work for St. Vincent. In a faxed statement Wednesday, Mid America said it doesn't "condone the behavior of the laboratory employee."
"Based upon our findings, we have taken appropriate action," the company said. "We are cooperating fully with the authorities and St. Vincent Hospital and we cannot comment further due to the ongoing investigation."
Police said the fired technician has expressed remorse. Attempts by 6News to reach her for comment weren't successful.
Buntin said her son is autistic. She said he was supposed to start preschool this week, but she and her husband are keeping him home because he has clung to them since Friday's incident.
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I am appalled! For a grown woman to use the "old chestnut" that I have heard time and time again from my children, "he/she hit me first", is so infantile. Of course a three year old child is going to fight back if you start to draw blood......it is a scary thing for a child. With the child being autistic, that just complicates things that much more since you can not be sure just how they are going to react. This is why is can take up to three people to restrain a child for blood work....and for my oldest son it took four people since he did not want to have anything to do with needles. Then for them to try to justify their behavior by stating that is how they handle the kids in the "home" makes me hope that the children in the home are examined for child abuse.
Comments (8)
That IS apalling!
What is wrong with people these days? This must be a sign of the Apocalypse. We can't be getting that damn stupid.
it is amazing, not in a good way, how hospital workers seem to have no regards for children on the autism spectrum... when my son who has Sensory Integration Dysfunction was taken the the CHILDREN'S hospital for testing to determine weather or not there was any physical anomaly causing his neurological problem (i.e. brain tumor, irregular ekg or eeg) where he was to be sedated to take these tests, we were all done and they tell us, ok now you have to leave we need this room (he doesn't like to be touched and was highly agitated coming out of the anesthesia...) and they got irritated w/ us when we weren't gone in 20 min... this is just another example of the stupidity of "people"
THAT is shocking. That technician is looking for a copout and is trying to use that child as one. Give me a break. 'The child bit me first'??? its a CHILD!!!! I wanna slap that woman...but im afraid she would do more than slap me back then claim its ok cause i did it first.....lol.
That's awful. She's suppose to be the parent. I do hope they are investigated too.
unbelievable! (shakes head in disgust)
I bite all the time. Keeps the ol' chompers in shape.
That is NO excuse for what she did. The bloody git...>.<
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