GREENEVILLE, TN (WJHL) – Former Greene Valley Developmental Center employee Alysia Prater wiped away tears as she pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted aggravated assault inside a Greene County courtroom Friday.
A Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities investigation previously substantiated that Prater slapped a GVDC resident in the face with a shoe in December 2014. According to state records, the former developmental technician used harsh language before she hit the middle-aged woman who suffered from bipolar disorder and couldn’t speak. At the time, Prater denied the allegations, but resigned as a result.
DIDD referred the case to police, but the criminal investigation never resulted in charges until after we launched our investigation into the handling of past abuse cases.
In return for Prater’s guilty plea, Criminal Court Judge John Dugger sentenced her to two years on probation and a lifetime on the abuse registry. Prater previously fought placement on the registry.
“We are happy to see this case come to a resolution that allows for Ms. Prater to be held accountable for her actions,” DIDD Communications Director Cara Kumari said. “In addition, through lifetime placement on the abuse registry, she is prevented from ever again working with a vulnerable population, including people with disabilities, the elderly and children.”
Prater declined comment as she left court, but her mother told us the woman is innocent, adding her daughter would have never been in this situation had the state properly investigated it in the beginning.Copyright WJHL 2017. All rights reserved.
