JESUP, Ga. — A director of nursing at Jesup Ridge was arrested following an alleged confrontation with a nursing assistant during a staff meeting Friday, Nov. 6. News Now Georgia confirmed that Erin Sowell was booked into the Wayne County jail.
According to an account provided to News Now Georgia, certified nursing assistant Precious Daniels was raising concerns about alleged resident neglect and abuse, and what she believed was a lack of appropriate follow-through by upper management. During the meeting, Sowell allegedly grabbed Daniels by the arm and pulled her from her seat. The account says Sowell did not release Daniels when asked.
Daniels contacted law enforcement, according to the account. News Now Georgia has independently confirmed Sowell’s arrest and booking, but has not obtained an incident report or independently verified the details of the confrontation. News Now Georgia has not yet confirmed the specific charge.
The allegations about resident care are also unverified. The account does not identify residents, describe specific incidents of neglect or abuse, or establish whether those complaints were investigated. An arrest related to a workplace dispute does not establish that resident neglect or abuse occurred.
Jesup Ridge of Journey LLC is a nursing facility at 3100 Savannah Highway in Jesup. Its identity and location appear in federal nursing home records. No statement from the facility or Sowell was available for this report.
The incident raises questions about what staff reported to management, how those reports were handled and whether employees felt able to raise resident-safety concerns without fear of retaliation. Those questions require an independent review of the underlying complaints and the facility’s response.
News Now Georgia will update this story when an official incident report, charge information, or statements from the people and facility involved become available.
Yolonda Harris
News Now Georgia
