GRANDVIEW, Mo. — A metro company that runs residential facilities for developmentally disabled people abruptly shut down this week after a disabled woman who lived in one of the facilities accused one of the co-owners of sexual abuse.
Grandview-based Residential Centers for the Developmentally Disabled shut down on Thursday, leaving over 20 people suddenly looking for new jobs. Company co-owner Melody Rudolph says that the allegations stem from a 22-year-old woman who lived in one of the facilities in Grandview, who claims that Rudolph’s husband and company co-owner Jason Rudolph inappropriately touched her in February of 2011.
Melody Rudolph says that state investigators took the company’s license away on Thursday, forcing them out of business.
“This is totally wrong. What they’re doing, they’re slandering his name,” said Rudolph. “All because this disabled person made a claim against him. We can’t approach her.”
The closure left 23 caregivers and social workers out of a job. The state, in a prepared statement, says that they moved nine clients from the company’s homes and placed them in other facilities in the area. The state had no further comment of the sexual abuse allegations.
“It’s really hard to wrap your head around that you work for someone for so long and don’t think they’re capable of something like that,” said former employee Damon Wortham Sr. “Whether allegations are true or not, the facts remain that our company is shut down and there are a lot of people out of work that aren’t receiving paychecks.”
Some of the company’s former workers are now working for other facilities in the area. Melody Rudolph says that all employees will receive final paychecks on Wednesday.
Jason Rudolph declined to comment to FOX 4, but his wife says that her husband’s accuser is jealous because the couple adopted another disabled girl who used to be the accuser’s roommate.
