Sex Offender Abused Long Branch Nursing Home Resident: Lawsuit

LONG BRANCH, NJ — A nursing home failed to protect a patient who was sexually assaulted by a registered sex offender who also lived there, according to a lawsuit filed by the man's family.

The lawsuit claims that the William J. Schymanski sexually assaulted the Monmouth Care Center patient on two separate occasions. The alleged victim has "severe" cerebral palsy and is nonverbal, according to attorney Daryl Zaslow.

The victim's family claims that the nursing home knew Schymanski was a registered sex offender and failed to protect their family member. The lawsuit also claims the nursing home was obligated to notify police about the first incident but did not.

Monmouth Care Center provided the following statement to Patch:

"(Monmouth Care Center) followed proper protocol and we cooperated with the investigation which found no credible evidence of any wrongdoing by this facility."

Schymanski was charged May 1, 2018, with criminal sexual assault, according to police records. Nursing home staff found him molesting the victim as they both sat in wheelchairs, according to authorities. Schymanski, 66, also failed to register his current address under Megan's Law, police said.

The victim's brother told police of a prior incident on April 17, 2018, when nursing home staff found Schymanksi trying to pull down the victim's pants, according to documents. The staff separated the two and notified the victim's brother three days later, according to the Asbury Park Press.

The victim was a patient at Monmouth Care Center from March 2016 through November 2018, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit claims the nursing home's "reckless indifference" caused "permanent and irreparable injury."

Schymanski was convicted of sexual assault with force in 1985, according to the state sex offender registry. The man hid in bushes, jumped out and attacked victims before taking them to a remote location, according to the registry.

The state labels Schymanski a Tier 2 "repetitive compulsive" offender and lists him under a Trenton address.

Click here to get Patch email notifications on this or other local news articles or get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our app. Download here. Follow Long Branch-Eatontown Patch on Facebook. Have a news tip? Email josh.bakan@patch.com.