SC nurse did not send racist messages, investigators say. Instead, she was a victim
A South Carolina nurse did not send racist message messages that were shared online under her name, according to an internal investigation at the health care company where she works.
“The forensic investigation provided conclusive proof that (the nurse) was not the author of the posts and that she is, in fact, the victim of a racist attack,” Carolina Gardens Senior Living, a West Columbia assisted living facility, said in a post announcing the investigation’s results.
Carolina Gardens’ parent company, Priority Life Care, launched an investigation two weeks ago after “vulgar and offensive” messages linked to the nurse were widely shared on social media, including several racist messages that were allegedly sent in a text message conversation.
The nurse later filed a Lexington police report claiming the messages were faked and shared online while she and her family were on vacation.
To assess the claims, Priority Life Care hired an outside digital forensic investigation team to determine the origin of the posts. During the investigation, the nurse was suspended without pay, and not permitted to care for or contact any residents or their family members, the company said Friday..
Company officials interviewed the nurse as well as co-workers, supervisors, residents and others who would have come into contact with her. A search was also conducted of the nurse’s past emails.
“We looked at as many emails as we could, as far as a few years ago up until recently,” Bobby Petras, Priority Life’s chief operating officer, said in a video posted to the company’s website. “We could not find anything that was consistent with the post that was made.”
Investigators also attempted to reach out to the accuser, but were unable to make contact, and determined the accuser’s Facebook account was unverified.
Perry Myers with Chicago-based MSI Detective Services said he interviewed the nurse on multiple occasions, and “found no indication of deception.” Myers also gained access to the nurse’s Facebook account and messenger service to perform a forensic investigation.
“I have scientifically concluded (the nurse) was not the author of the racist statements, and those statements were not generated from (the nurse’s) Facebook account,” he said.
Myers’ agency is continuing working with police to identify the source of the messages shared online.
“I have been a nurse with senior adults almost all my life, and I truly love what I do,” the nurse said in an audio statement released by Priority Life. When she saw the posts attributed to her, the nurse said she was in shock. “I could not believe this was happening to me and my family,” she said.
“This was a personal attack on me, my character and my profession,” she said. “To say this has been devastating and scary would be an understatement. I have received death threats, phone calls, and vile packages mailed to my house address.”
She said she would “participate in any and all charges being filed” against the creator of the posts attached to her name and image.
“I want to thank anyone who reached out to me with love and support. I truly appreciate you all,” she said.
Priority Life CEO Sevy Petras said investigators were determined to find “the true culprits who set out to damage the reputation of a trusted nurse, and also take away the focus on safety and well-being for our residents during this continued pandemic.”
Private investigators are working with police and Facebook to identify the origin of the posts, the company said. That will include identifying people who called for the nurse’s firing on the Carolina Gardens’ Facebook page even as the company posted updates on its investigation, and those who shared the fabricated messages online.
“We want to thank everyone who reported the alarming and hateful posts,” Sevy Petras said in an online video. “It shows empathy for those who rely on the service of others.”
“It was also important to us that a fair, unbiased investigation was conducted, as our co-workers are the heart-beat of our company,” Petras said.
Sevy Petras said Priority Life staff will receive training on how to prevent their social media accounts from being hacked or cloned.
This story was originally published June 26, 2020 at 6:35 PM.
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