US agency sues Vermont nursing home over racial abuse claims

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued a Vermont nursing home over allegations that it allowed patients to racially abuse Black staff members. The lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Burlington says the long-term care facility Elderwood at Burlington violated federal law by allowing Black nurses and nurse assistants to be subjected to what the suit describes as ongoing and egregious racial harassment. The suit says that starting in 2020, certain white residents of Elderwood repeatedly directed offensive racial slurs at Elderwood’s Black nurses and nurse assistants. Elderwood said in a statement that it cannot comment on ongoing legal matters, but it “does not tolerate harassment of any kind.”