Greer Center accused of shredding evidence; judge issues temporary restraining order
An Oklahoma County district judge has issued a temporary restraining order against the Robert M. Greer Center in Enid and its staff following new allegations of destroying evidence.
Lawyers for plaintiffs in an ongoing lawsuit, filed by a mother of one of the victims of alleged abuse at the center, filed a motion for a temporary restraining order Friday after learning from a former employee that people at the facility were allegedly shredding documents and evidence pertaining to the case.
The Greer Center is a 52-bed residential treatment facility for adults diagnosed with both intellectual disabilities and mental illness or severe behavioral challenges. It is privately operated by Liberty of Oklahoma Corp. and contracted through the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.
An employee came forward and attested in a sworn affidavit to knowledge of Greer Center staff shredding documents, and she listed other staff members who had witnessed the shredding, as well as names of some individuals involved in the act.
The temporary restraining order barring the center and its staff from "destroying, removing, relocating or otherwise spoliating any documentation or evidence" was granted by Judge Anthony Bonner, and an emergency hearing was set for Jan. 10.
“Liberty of Oklahoma Corporation takes its legal obligation to preserve records very seriously and we strongly deny any allegations of wrongdoing as it relates to maintaining records. We look forward to presenting the facts in court, where this matter can appropriately be resolved with the seriousness it deserves,” said Sue Nayda, Chief Operating Officer of Liberty of Oklahoma Corporation in a statement sent to The Oklahoman late Monday.
The restraining order is the latest in an ongoing series of events surrounding the facility. An investigation into abuse allegations beginning around April led to the firing of at least eight people, multiple suspensions and the resignation of the facility's administrator. Charges including abuse by caretaker have been filed against at least eight employees connected to alleged incidents in 2022 and 2023.
Despite the continued reports of abuse, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services continued to refer clients to the troubled center for months, according to reporting by The Frontier.
More: After alleging abuse, Greer Center staffer found flyers advertising her for sex acts
And one former employee, acting as a whistleblower, faced continued alleged harassment, retaliation and attempts at intimidation by coworkers, according to the Enid News & Eagle.
The civil lawsuit filed against the Greer Center in December seeks damages for alleged physical and mental abuse of patient John Doe and details alleged abuse at the center, including "forms of waterboarding, choking residents until they were unconscious and then beating them until they regained consciousness, and enticing residents — persons with intellectual disabilities — to abuse each other."
This story has been updated to include a statement issued by Liberty of Oklahoma Corporation.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Restraining order issued in Greer Center lawsuit; emergency hearing set
