Family Sues Rainier School, Alleging 'Deadly Neglect'

TACOMA, WA — The Family of Johanna Pratt and Disability Rights Washington have filed a lawsuit in Pierce County against the Rainier School, alleging that the institution is at fault for the 2017 death of JoHanna Pratt.

The Rainier School, located in Buckley, is a state-run institution for adults with developmental disabilities. Pratt lived in the school at the time of her death— the plaintiffs claim she died because medical staff at Rainier School did not take her symptoms of pulmonary embolism seriously, and that her death could have been prevented.

“JoHanna deserved so much better than this," said Christopher Carney, an attorney representing Pratt's family. "The State put JoHanna in an institution, where she had no way of getting help on her own. She was completely dependent on the staff of Rainier School, and they let her down in the worst possible way, causing her death."

The suit says Pratt underwent foot surgery shortly before her death, and claims her caretakers should have known to check for the signs and symptoms of the resulting pulmonary embolism that lead to her death.

"This tragedy could have been avoided if the state had simply followed the instructions given by JoHanna’s doctor," said Carney.

The Rainier School is one of four state-run Residential Habilitation Centers, which house more than 600 Washingtonians with developmental disabilities. The Department of Health and Human Services says roughly 310 adults live at the Rainier School.

Disability Rights Washington, one of the plaintiffs in the case, says their agency has received "multiple reports documenting dangerous conditions, negligent care, and ineffective treatment at Rainier School."

"As long as the state continues to isolate people who need support in large, decaying institutions like Rainier School, tragedies like this one will continue to occur," said Disability Rights Washington Director of Advocacy David Carlson.

The DSHS has not commented on the suit, but their website notes that habilitation centers like Rainier School "are subject to regular, rigorous surveys to ensure quality care and treatment."

The suit is not the Pratt family's first legal encounter with Rainier School. In 2016, JoHanna Pratt herself joined in a suit against the school in a bid to live a more independent life away from the facility.