Officials at Beaver County home for disabled shocked by abuse allegations

Officials at McGuire Memorial Home said they were shocked to learn of allegations that two employees abused disabled residents of the Beaver County facility and immediately notified families of the alleged victims as soon as authorities permitted them to do so.

Christopher Shay, president and CEO of McGuire, offered his first public statements Wednesday on allegations contained in lawsuits filed two weeks ago by families of former McGuire residents.

The lawsuits allege physical and sexual abuse by the two former employees and that McGuire failed to notify victims’ families in a timely fashion after the abuse was uncovered.

Shay said the facility has since taken steps to increase security in residential areas, instituted a zero tolerance policy for the banned use of cellphones and has provided staff with additional training.

“Our focus is and will remain our individuals and their families,” Shay said. “McGuire has offered loving and passionate care for 56 years and we’re going to continue to do that. I can’t allow the evil in this world to define who we are or the mission at McGuire Memorial.”

The lawsuits contend Zachary Lee Dinell and Tyler James Smith, both former caretakers at McGuire, assaulted and made more than 150 photographs and videos, many sexually explicit, of them abusing 17 residents. McGuire residents have profound disabilities and live in private rooms that are accessible to relatives and staff. Many are blind, unable to speak and cannot move without assistance.

New Brighton police charged Dinell, 25, of Freedom with 47 felony and misdemeanor charges. He is being held in the Beaver County Jail pending trial. Police charged Smith, 29, of Cranberry with simple assault, recklessly endangering others and endangering the welfare of children. He is free on $250,000 bond. Both are awaiting trial.

Shay said he was “sickened and disgusted” by the allegations. McGuire, according to its attorney Thomas King, was also victimized by the former employees.

Police in 2018 initially identified seven victims of alleged abuse. While the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office was preparing for trial this year, investigators identified an additional 10 victims.

King said McGuire immediately notified families of the first seven victims but held off on notification of the remaining 10 at the request of District Attorney David Lozier.

“As soon as we were lawfully permitted by the district attorney’s office to provide notices to those families, we did within 24 hours provide notice to those families,” King said.

Lozier confirmed that he made the request to hold off for “a couple of weeks” during an initial investigation.

“I directed the home not to issue any information or to contact anybody until we knew more,” he said, adding that he also wanted everyone notified at the same time.

Attorney Rob Peirce, who is representing two of the families, took exception to McGuire’s contention that it was victimized.

“It disgusts me that a corporation who is legally responsible for the actions of its employees and, in this case, made their civil liabilities to the family members of the abused loved ones, would even consider themselves to be victims like the 17 individuals who were physically and emotionally abused over a several months long period of time,” he said.