DAYTON — A corrections officer reportedly injured in an attack by an inmate is suing the Dayton Correctional Institution (DCI), its staff, and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction, claiming they were negligent in protecting and caring for her.
Karen Bleise was working as a corrections officer in February 2022 when she was “seriously and permanently injured by an inmate who attacked” her, the lawsuit alleges. She claims to have suffered a “broken nose, orbital fractures, post-traumatic stress disorder, a concussion, a traumatic brain injury, including memory loss, and hearing loss.”
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She also said she’s suffered “excruciating pain, embarrassment, annoyance, psychological trauma, (and) physical deformities,” according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit filed last week in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court also names DCI Warden Shelbie Smith, Deputy Warden Greg Craft, Deputy Warden Rudy Pringle, Maj. Phillip Walker and Yvette Hogan.
They are accused of gross negligence, recklessness, and willful wanton behavior; intentional infliction of emotional distress; and breach of contract.
Those named in the lawsuit allegedly failed to maintain proper security procedures when they failed to comply with their own policies and procedures manual. The lawsuit claims there wasn’t a necessary number of corrections officers to maintain good order on Bleise’s cellblock.
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“These failures by the defendants allowed inmate Mary Page to inflict these serious injuries to (Bleise),” the lawsuit states.
Page pleaded guilty to one count of assault in December 2022.
They also allegedly tried to place fault on Bleise after the attack and made her return the work the day after the attack.
Bleise is demanding a judgment “in excess” of $25,000 for each of the three counts in the lawsuit.
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