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Care home sued over sex-assault contention

Times-Tribune - 2/24/2019

Feb. 24-- Feb. 24--Attorneys for a developmentally disabled woman who Scranton police said was sexually abused at a city assisted living home are suing the facility, claiming administration there knew about an earlier assault and failed to take action.

The suit stems from the criminal case against Mark Chubb, 58, who is accused of touching the woman's breasts and genitals several times while both lived at Harrison House, 712 Harrison Ave. City police arrested Chubb in June.

The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual abuse.

Attorney Timothy Corbett, who is acting as the woman's guardian, claims in court filings that a staffer at the facility witnessed Chubb having inappropriate sexual contact with the woman in April, according to the suit. The employee, Melanie Rivera, reported the incident to Davie Ann Tallo, the administrator of Harrison House, who failed to investigate the incident or report it to police, the lawsuit alleges.

In June, Rivera again saw Chubb having sexual contact with the woman. She and another employee, Catina Lovelace, confronted Chubb, who admitted to sexually abusing the woman and other residents at Harrison House, according to the lawsuit. Rivera and Lovelace then demanded Tallo report the assaults, the suit claims. City police arrested Chubb on June 4.

"We're not making any comments on anything," Tallo said when contacted Friday.

Attorneys for the woman, who has "severe intellectual disabilities," are seeking more than $50,000, plus punitive damages, costs and other judgments for what the lawsuit calls reckless and negligent actions by administrators at Harrison House. The assaults have caused the woman irreparable emotional distress and incurred medical expenses, the suit claims.

Chubb remains in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $30,000 bail. He faces one charge of indecent assault of a person with a mental disability stemming from the June incident. A preliminary hearing is pending.

Contact the writer:

cover@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5363;

@ClaytonOver on Twitter

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