Several Lower Hudson Valley lawmakers are calling for an investigation into a state-run veterans home in Westchester County after a video revealed alleged abuse of one of its residents.
Documentation provided to News12 shows an aide at the New York State Veterans Home at Montrose appearing to physically assault Gulf War veteran Albert O’Toole inside the facility. The footage of the alleged abuse, which shows O’Toole being picked up by the neck and thrown into a chair by the aide as well as being punched in the side of the face and getting hit in the head with a broom, was recorded by O’Toole’s wife by way of a hidden camera.
The aide was arrested in April for these actions but his current employment status is unclear, the outlet noted. The state Department of Health told News12 the aide was put on leave and later fired but a Veterans Affairs spokesperson said the aide is still employed by the federal VA pending the outcome of the case.
Here’s what state legislators are saying about the incident.
Lower Hudson Valley lawmakers call for AG investigation
Senators Pete Harckham and Shelley Mayer and Assemblymembers Dana Levenberg and Matt Slater, all Westchester County representatives, are calling on New York Attorney General Letitia James to launch an immediate investigation into the facility, citing the news outlet’s reporting that also detailed the veterans home had accumulated more than 47 complaints and 25 citations between 2021 and 2025.
Additionally, Medicare issued more than $29,000 in fines to the home last year after a state inspection cited failures to prevent and report alleged abuse, the outlet noted.
Mayer said she’s “deeply disturbed by the appalling documented abuse” of O’Toole and is calling for an investigation “to determine whether this abuse reflects a broader pattern of mistreatment and to ensure that swift and appropriate action is taken to protect every resident.”
“No person should ever have to endure such cruelty, especially the men and women who served our nation with honor and sacrificed so much to protect our freedoms,” Mayer added in her June 21 statement.
Harckham also called on the state Department of Veterans Services to investigate the facility.
“The documented abuse of Albert O’Toole is deeply troubling, and the possibility that such mistreatment could occur without oversight or accountability is unacceptable,” Harckham said in a statement.
“We owe our veterans dignity, respect, and quality care in their later years,” Harckham continued. “Swift action must be taken to address these failures and hold those responsible accountable.”
Emily Barnes covers state government for the USA TODAY Network-New York with a focus on how policy and laws impact New Yorkers’ taxes, communities and jobs. Follow her on Instagram or X @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY lawmakers seek probe of alleged abuse at Westchester veterans home
Reporting by Emily Barnes, New York State Team / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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By Emily Barnes, New York State Team | USA TODAY Network
