From a May 18, 1965 edition of Staten Island Advance, journalist Wittek wrote about the death of a child named John K. Taylor caused by an 18 year old female attendant at the Willowbrook State School. John K. Taylor was a resident of the former Willowbrook State School on Staten Island in New York City, New York at the time of his death.
It was on the date of Friday May 14, 1965 in the early darkened morning of 4 AM when 10 year old John K. Taylor died at Willowbrook State School. He was pronounced dead on the scene. He died as a result of neglect and lack of care by a female attendant at Willowbrook State School.
An 18 year old female attendant had given Willowbrook State School resident John K. Taylor a shower the day before which was earlier before his untimely death. What happened was the antiquated plumbing system at Willowbrook State School gave out and as a result, 10 year old resident John K. Taylor was burned to death from scalding hot water coming out of the shower head. As a result, water burned over 80% of his body. The burns on his body were not discovered until 5:45 PM of that particular evening. On the date of Friday May 14, 1965, John K. Taylor died as a result.
Willowbrook State School staff did not contact or notify New York City police until 1 PM on that Friday afternoon. The female attendant apparently didn’t realize John K. Taylor’s condition at first. But soon afterwards, the female attendant attempted to conceal his death from her superiors. Neither Willowbrook State School supervisors or the New York City police took disciplinary action against the 18 year old female attendant. She was never criminally charged either. She was not ever named in the news article Wittek wrote in the Friday May 18, 1965 edition of the Staten Island Advance newspaper.
The New York District Attorney’s office investigation later revealed, “The attendant was bathing the deceased and suddenly the plumbing gave out scalding the boy. The attendant apparently didn’t realize it at first and then attempted to conceal it from her superiors.” Neither the hospital nor the police would take any disciplinary action against her.” (Mallon & Moberley)
The antiquated plumbing system at Willowbrook State School can be attributed to its “snake pit conditions”. Former Senator Robert Kennedy toured Willowbrook State School in 1965 and called the institution itself a snake pit due to its inhumane conditions. Wards built at a capacity for 40 resident had 80 or more. Many resident at the time were living in filth which unfortunately was common in “state schools” across the United States.
Prior to his untimely death, John K. Taylor was a resident at Willowbrook State School. He was malnourished from lack of healthcare treatment and neglect during his stay residency there, so as a result he was underweight and below the average size for children his age. He only weighed 40 pounds (40 lbs). John K. Taylor was considered by medical terms of the time to be a “low functioning retardate”. He was considered a “retardate” in other words. Somehow he was capable enough to walk, but was unable to talk or feed himself. He could not fend for himself.
To this date as of August 2017, the 18 year old female attendant who was responsible for giving John K. Taylor has not been named and has never been charged for criminally for the death of John K. Taylor. The female attendant never has been held responsible for the death of John K. Taylor nor has she been held accountable for her actions when she worked as an attendant at Willowbrook State School.
*John K. Taylor was known by the names Little Johnny, Johnnie Taylor, Johnny Taylor, and Johnathan K. Taylor. At Willowbrook State School, he was known as Little Johnny.
*Willowbrook State School had an antiquated plumbing system that often gave out and burned many residents with scalding hot water.
Reading this almost 60 yrs later, I still remember this as being the most traumatic event of my life. Johnny, or “baby Johnny” was my younger brother. He was the third born of five siblings.
ReplyDeleteAs a young child, I hated leaving Johnny there on Sunday evenings after his home visits on the weekend. He was a couple months shy of turning 11 yrs old at the time of his death. My parents were told that the attendant left him unattended in the tub while she took a cigarette break. My father did not sue the institution as he stated, “this will not bring back my son”. As a twelve year old, I was filled with rage and emotion that this happened. I never felt comfortable leaving him there every weekend and often wondered what were my parents thinking. Seven years (he was 3 yrs old when he started at Willowbrook), and nobody but me noticed or felt that something was odd about this place? Johnny was the second victim of the abuse so I think he may have not experienced the worst of the abuse that took place after he died. Not sure.