Des Moines, Ia (AP) — Iowa officials are investigating possible abuse at a troubled state-run institution for people with intellectual disabilities.
Kelly Garcia, director of the Iowa Department of Human Services, said in an interview Thursday that there is a “visible marking” on a resident at the Glenwood Resource Center, which has been rocked by scandals twice in the past four years, the Des Moines Register reports.
She said the injury couldn’t have been inflicted by another resident, because everyone who lives in the person’s house is immobile. Garcia said she asked the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation to help determine what happened.
“We’re still very much sorting through the facts,” she said.
The institution is home to about 190 adults with severe intellectual disabilities, such as autism or seizure disorders. The residents live in ranch-style homes spread around the campus.
Although no staff members had been suspended and no criminal charges had been filed, supervision has been increased, Garcia said.
She said her agency also reported the situation to a state entity that regulates health care facilities and the U.S. Department of Justice, which already is investigating the Glenwood Resource Center over allegations of poor medical care and unethical research into sexual arousal.
