Former nursing director of Windmill Manor found not guilty

A Johnson County Magistrate found a former coralville nursing home director not guilty Monday of interfering with a state investigation of the nursing home.

Karen Etter, former nursing director of Windmill Manor, was charged with attempting to impede or interfere with a representative from the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, a misdemeanor offense.

Magistrate Karen Egerton stated in her written ruling that based on evidence from the trial two weeks ago there was no pending investigation of the nursing home by state agency when Etter threatened to fire employees.

The employees testified she threatened to fire them if they broke policy and reported problems to the state without going through her.

Edgerton said the evidence suggested Etter performed her duties in a “tyrannical style” but there's no evidence of any pending investigation in May of 2009.

Criminal charges were filed against Etter after state and federal authorities levied more than $92,000 in fines on the nursing home after staff members were accused of covering up the sexual abuse of an elderly resident.

According to state records, a male resident was found having sex with a female resident, who had Alzheimer's disease in 2008. State regulators said because of the woman's illness, she could not have given informed consent to sex.

None of the employees testifying said anything about the sexual abuse that occured in 2008 or said Etter's remarks were connected to that incident.