Man pushes for laws to keep sexual predators out of hospitals
75-year-old Edward Bowman is pushing legislators to create a law, “Clara’s Law”, to be named after his late wife Clara Mae, that would ban sexual predators (not sure whether the term “predator” is used to distinguish the different classification or if it’s used by him synonymously with “offender”) from nursing homes, hospitals and medical facilities all over the country.
In 2006, Edward’s late wife was sexually assaulted by a male nurse and he has been on a crusade since to get a law passed in her memory. This year, he is going to walk 237 miles from Mount Dora to Tallahassee, to meet with Florida lawmakers.
While Mr. Bowman has a sad and compelling story, he’s missing the mark on some facts.
Firstly, the nurse who assaulted his wife was not on the registry. Therefore, “Clara’s Law”, had a version been in effect back then, would have done nothing to protect Clara.
Secondly, the overwhelming majority of sexual assaults are committed by first time offenders. If another patient is assaulted by a healthcare worker, there’s a 97% base chance that it would be by someone not on the registry, further reduced by the fact that it’s unlikely that a hospital worker with such a criminal history would be working in a capacity where they could assault a patient, making the odds negligible.
Third, the unintended negative consequences of a law that would ban registrants from hospitals, would be that they would be prevented from visiting with loved ones, including their own children (see: https://floridaactioncommittee.org/wi-registrant-father-wins-right-to-visit-sick-son-in-hospital/, https://floridaactioncommittee.org/registrant-denied-access-to-hospital-for-sons-surgery/, https://floridaactioncommittee.org/sex-offenders-banned-from-florida-hospital/).
Bowman has been pushing for a “Clara’s Law”, in one form or another, for over a decade. Prior versions would have required healthcare facilities to report incidents of sexual misconduct (not convictions, but reports) to the state Health Department and potentially a national clearinghouse, but those measures failed.
We can understand Mr. Bowman’s desire to memorialize his wife, but banning an entire class of former offenders from hospitals – the effect of which could be to prevent children facing scary medical procedures from the comfort of their parent – is not going to do Clara any justice.
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Simply: Just when does it end!!
When we die or leave this state!
Sadly, you’re probably right. They want us gone, dead and they’ve finally found the means to achieve their goal.
What is being done to stop him?
I went to a hospital down here (Ft Laud) with problems breathing, coughing up blood, a heart arrhythmia and Syncope with collapse (passing out while coughing).
I should have been a “direct admit into the Cardiac ICU”. But, when the triage Nurse looked at my license, with the identifier on it, she told me to wait in the waiting room.
I couldnt stop coughing and spitting up blood. She came out, disgusted, and gave me a mask and told me “I dont want you spreading germs around in MY hospital!!!”
I had respiratory distress, a heart arrhythmia and spitting up blood and passing out— ALL DIRECT ADMITS !!!!!!
They gave me a chest x-ray, a breathing treatment and told me to go home; it was nothing serious.
I tried complaining, to no avail….. they just came up with some BS reason WHY I wasnt a “Direct Admit”.
ALL because of this damned “badge” I have to have on my license.
Here is an old man with no purpose in life since the death of his wife he’s lonely and has nothing but idle time on his hands. He’s not interested in stopping any future crimes only in satisfying his own insecurities and lack of purpose. What a looser.
We should feel sorry for him.
As the article points out, Mr. Bowman’s wife was NOT assaulted by a registered sex offender. If he was pursuing a logical course, he would be pushing for a ban on male nurses. Unfortunately, that would be illegal discrimination. Better to go after the group that society has declared a legal target for any form of discrimination.
I am speechless, and for anyone who knows me that in itself is a miracle.