Police: Three Women Accused of Running Fight Club at Assisted Living Facility

Three women were accused of running a fight club at an assisted living facility in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, after police said they encouraged residents to fight each other and allegedly abused two disabled women.

Winston-Salem Police announced Friday that three women who used to work at the Danby House assisted living facility— Marilyn Latish McKey, Tonacia Yvonne Tyson, and Taneshia Deshawn Jordan— are facing charges of assaulting an individual with a disability after police received reports of elder abuse at the facility in June, the Winston-Salem Journal reported.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services along with the Winston-Salem Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division began investigating the reports in June, determining that the three employees allowed and encouraged residents to fight each other.

Police said at least one employee shoved one of the residents during this time, and all three of the women were working in patient care roles.

Court documents revealed that Marilyn Latish McKey, 32, pushed a 73-year-old woman into her room while her fellow employees, Tonacia Yvonne Tyson, 20, and Taneshia Deshawn Jordan, 26, filmed the encounter and did nothing to stop the violence.

In a separate incident, the 73-year-old woman fought with a 70-year-old woman while the three women watched and even encouraged the residents to fight each other, according to court documents.

No injuries were reported over the course of the investigation.

McKey faces two counts of assault on an individual with a disability while Tyson and Jordan each face one count of assault on an individual with a disability.

Danby House said in a statement that the three employees were “terminated immediately in June” once management was made aware of the situation.

“Administrators have been working closely with the Winston-Salem Police Department throughout its investigation to ensure justice is served. Additional staff training and a more rigorous vetting process for all new and existing employees at Danby House has been implemented,” the assisted living facility’s statement continued.