Facilitator Crimes and Abuses
Alarmingly, cases of facilitator crimes are starting to emerge as individuals go deeper into their belief system about FC. Despite no evidence of independent communication, facilitators are acting on their belief that FC-generated messages can be used to make major, life-changing decisions. Documented crimes include sexual assault, rape, and manslaughter.
Facilitator Crimes
2018 - Report of Facilitated Convicted of Two Counts of Sexual Assault on an Individual with Disabilities, New Jersey, United States
Former Rutgers University professor, Anna Stubblefield was found guilty of two counts of first degree sexual assault against an individual with disabilities when she initiated sexual contact using only facilitated communication as a form of consent. She was trained as a facilitator at Syracuse University. She later struck a deal with prosecutors for a shortened prison sentence. She admitted that she knew at the time of her actions that the individual had been found mentally incompetent and could not legally consent. She pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of third-degree charge of aggravated criminal sexual contact.
References:
Burke, M. (2018, March 19). Educator trained in discredited communication method at SU pleads guilty to criminal sexual contact. The Daily Orange.
Engber, Daniel. (2015, October 25). The Strange Case of Anna Stubblefield. New York Times.
Engber, Daniel. (2018, April 5). The Strange Case of Anna Stubblefield - Revisted. New York Times.
Flaherty, Colleen. (2018, March 23). Former Professor Admits to Assaulting Disabled Man. Inside Higher Ed.
London, W., and Barrett, S. (2018, May 20). Facilitated Communication practitioner sentenced. Consumer Health Digest.
Napoliello, Alex. (2018, May 11). No more prison for ex-Rutgers professor who sexually assaulted disabled student. NJ.com.
Wichert, Bill. (2014, November 13). Hearings set for Rutgers professor accused of sexually assaulting mentally disabled man. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com.
Wichert, Bill. (2014, December 11). Rutgers professor accused of sexual assault fights to bar document from trial. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2015, January 8). Judge OKs document detailing Rutgers professor’s sexual relations with mentally disabled man. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2015, February 20). Expert can’t prove she can communicate with disabled man who may be victim of sex assault, judge rules. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2015, March 26). Trial date set for Rutgers professor charged with sexual assault of mentally disabled man. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2015, August 13). Judge sets rules for professor’s testimony at sex assault trial. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2015, August 20). Controversial technique at center of professor’s sex assault trial. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2015, August, 25). Jury selection to begin in Rutgers professor’s sex assault trial. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2015, September 9). Is professor using ‘Ouija Board’ science to defend herself in sex abuse case? NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2015, September 10). Professor goes on trial in alleged sexual abuse of disabled man. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2015, September 11). Professor, accused of sex assault, declares love for disabled man. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2015, September 17). Professor accused of bruising disabled man during sex assault. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2015, September 18). Disabled man could not consent to sex in professor’s abuse case, expert says. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2015, September 23). Professor begins consent defense in alleged sex assault of disabled man. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill (2015, September 24). Professor had ‘just a regular relationship’ with disabled man, she says in Court. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2015, September 25). Professor rejects claim she ‘rape’ disabled man. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2015, October 1). Jury begins deliberations in professor’s sex assault trial. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2015, October 2). Professor found guilty of sexually assaulting disabled man. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2015, October 3). Juror explains why professor was convicted of sexually assaulting disabled man. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2015, November 8). Professor looks to overturn conviction for sex assault of disabled man. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2015, December 10). Professor loses bid to throw out conviction for sex assault of disabled man. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2016, January 15). Professor sentenced to prison for sexual assault of disabled man. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2016, January 24). Convicted professor’s jailhouse letter: I loved disabled man. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Wichert, Bill. (2016, October 25). Rutgers prof convicted in sex assault of disabled man ordered to pay $4M. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
This case sparked some discourse within the disabilities studies community:
Sherry, M. (2016, March 16). Facilitated communication, Anna Stubblefield and disability studies. Disability and Society. 31 (7), 974-982. DOI: 10.1080/09687599.2016.1218152
This purpose of this article was to discusses the Anna Stubblefield case, the use of an unscientific and unreliable technique to gain “consent,” and the ethical concerns for disability scholars who continue to support her.Mintz, K. (2017). Ableism, ambiguity, and the Anna Stubblefield case. Disability and Society. 32 (10), 1666-1670. DOI: 10.1080/09687599.2017.1356058
This article is, in part, a response to Mark Sherry’s article and discusses the “many layers of ableism at play in the case.”
Note: Although there is no direct mention of facilitated communication or authorship in the article, the implication that “justice will not be served until the alleged victim gets to be heard.” Controlled studies have demonstrated that authorship in FC-generated messages are the facilitators’ and not those of the individuals being facilitated. Systematic reviews of FC and RPM report that, to date, proponents have failed to produce reliable evidence to uphold claims of independent communication.
2014 - Report of Facilitator Convicted of “Indecent Dealing” with an Individual with Disabilities, Queensland, Australia
Martina Susanne Schweiger was convicted of two counts of “indecent dealing” with an individual with disabilities. Schwieger was a carer at a Sunshine Coast disability services home. She used facilitated communication to “speak” to her client and, believing they were in love, obtained what she took to be consent for intimate contact. The court, however, determined that the use of FC was neither accurate nor a reliable method of communication. Schwieger pleaded guilty to the charges. She was given an 18-month wholly suspended sentence on each charge, with a operational period of three years.
References:
Anonymous. (2014, October 17). Carer: “I fell in love”: Grandma guilty of indecent dealing. Sunshine Coast Daily (Queensland).
Sunstrom. (2014, October 16). I love him: disability carer faces court over love affair. Sunshine Coast Daily (Queensland).
2010 - Report of a Facilitator Convicted of Manslaughter, New York, United States
Gigi Jordan was convicted of two counts of manslaughter for feeding her eight-year-old son an overdose of pills and alcohol after using facilitated communication to confirmation the child wanted to die. Although there was no evidence that her son had been abused, Jordan believed abuses had taken place, also based on FC-generated messages. She maintained her actions were a “mercy killing.” Jordan was sentenced to 18 years in state prison, plus five years of post-release supervision.
References:
Bashan, Y. (2014, November 6). City News: Gigi Jordan Found Guilty in Son’s Death. Wall Street Journal.
Dobnik, V. (2010, February 26). Broken mom killed autistic son, police say; Why I can’t cross over to selfish side. South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Gardiner S. (2011, August 11). Mercy Killing Defense Claim Will Be Tested. The Wall Street Journal.
Ly, L. (2015, May 28). New York businesswoman sentenced to 18 years for son’s death. CNN.
McKinley, JC. (2014, November 5). Gigi Jordan Convicted of Manslaughter, Not Murder, in Son’s Killing. New York Times.
Update 1: In 2020, a judge ordered a retrial on a technicality. See “Will FC be Discussed at Gigi Jordan’s Retrial?”
Update 2: Gigi Jordan committed suicide on December 30, 2022, the night before she was to return to jail. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor had reviewed her case and, subsequently, issued an order requiring her return to prison where she would await a final decision by the judges.
References:
Dienst, Jonathan and Miller, Myles. (2023, January 4). Death of Pharma Millionaire who Killed 8-Year-Old Son in Manhattan Hotel Ruled Suicide. NBC New York.
Parascandola, Rocco. (2023, January 4). Pharma Millionaire Gigi Jordan died of suicide on eve of return to prison for autistic son’s killing, says NYC medical examiner. New York Daily News.
Sharma, Shweta. (2023, January 2). Pharma executive found dead hours after Supreme Court weighs in on sentence for killing autistic son. Independent.