Terrified residents at a Corpus Christi, Texas state school for the mentally disabled were forced to... 
(ABC News)A recent Texas state report revealed nearly 270 employees across the state's 13 residential facilities for the mentally disabled were fired or suspended last year for abusing or mistreating residents. The report comes on the heels of several incidents across the schools that have raised great concern; including ones recently reported by ABC News regarding the 'fight club' incident at the Corpus Christi state school and the suicide of a 15 year-old female at the San Angelo state school.
The 268 employees, highlighted in the report released Friday, were fired or suspended for neglect, physical or sexual abuse to residents in their care. Eleven of the individuals listed on the report were charged with causing severe physical injury to or sexually abusing a resident.
Recently, six employees at the Corpus Christi state school were fired after video surfaced showing the employee forcing mentally disabled residents of the school to fight one another. The employees used their cell phones to videotape the brawls. Five of the former employees were charged with four counts each of causing injury to disabled persons. A sixth person was charged with failing to intervene. They all pled not guilty last month and are schedule to go to trial in July and August.
The Department of Aging and Disabilities Services (DADS), which oversees Texas' 13 state schools and their nearly 5,000 residents, and employs more than 12,000 full-time workers, believes the increased number of firings and suspensions could be interpreted as a sign they're doing their job.
"We don't tolerate abuse and neglect of the residents in our institutions," says Cecilia Fedorov, spokeswoman for the DADS. "We have a zero tolerance policy that says if you are involved in any confirmed case of abuse or neglect that results in any measure of physical harm, that you will be fired."
Fedorov said when DADS instituted their zero tolerance policy in late 2007, they expected the number of firings and dismissals to increase.
"We make no apologies for having tough personnel policies," said Fedorov.
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