Dawn Holland
*The black woman identified as the unnamed person who filed a battery complaint with the Sheriff’s Department in Riverside County against Lindsay Lohan over an incident that occurred nine days ago, has spoken out about the alleged altercation – and was fired from the Betty Ford Center as a result of talking publicly about it, according to reports.
Dawn Holland, a chemical dependency technician, told TMZ that Lohan returned to the Betty Ford Center-run house she has been living in after a night out with two roommates, after curfew. Holland, who claimed to TMZ she was asked to administer Breathalyzer tests on the women, said things got heated when Lohan refused to submit to the test.
“She was very angry and out of control,” Holland said in an on-camera interview with TMZ. She claimed the actress called 911 and when she got on the phone to talk to the authorities, Lohan ripped the phone out of her hand, which caused a severe sprain. Holland claimed she is now on worker’s compensation as a result of the incident.
“She kept yelling and cursing and screaming in the background,” Holland told TMZ regarding Lohan’s behavior as she addressed the 911 operator. “Then she tried to snatch the phone from out of my arm. She grabbed my wrist and snatched it down and twisted my arm and my hand to get the phone out of my arm.”
Not long after TMZ’s story broke, Radar Online reported that Holland claimed to them she was fired after speaking out about the incident. “Betty Ford Center terminated me and I’m now going full force,” Holland told Radar.
“[It was] due to breach of patient confidentiality because I did an interview with TMZ,” she added.
Russ Patrick, Spokesperson for the Betty Ford Center, did not name Holland, but confirmed in a statement to “Access Hollywood” on Tuesday night that an employee was fired after breaking patient confidentiality by talking to the media.
“In the three decades since our doors opened to patients, the Betty Ford Center and its employees have respected the privacy of all our patients,” Patrick’s statement to Access read. “Regrettably, on December 21, 2010, one of our employees violated patient confidentiality by talking to the media and by disclosing a privileged document. That employee has been terminated by the Betty Ford Center.”
Lindsay Lohan reacts beside her attorney Shawn Chapman Holley (R) as Judge Marsha Revel rules that Lohan had violated her probation on a 2007 drunken driving charge in Beverly Hills, California July 6, 2010.
Shawn Chapman Holley, Lohan’s attorney, also issued a statement to “Access Hollywood” over the alleged incident with the one-time Betty Ford Center worker, however, she did not confirm Holland was involved in the incident.
“At this time, we are declining to comment on the underlying facts surrounding this incident, as we await the completion of the police investigation. It should be noted, however, that it was Ms. Lohan who called 911 to request police assistance at the time this incident occurred,” Holley’s statement read.
Meanwhile, Lindsay is squarely disputing Dawn Holland’s claim that she attacked Holland and caused her to sprain her arm so severely she’s on workers’ comp. Lindsay says, for starters, she wasn’t even with her two roommates hours before the incident. Lindsay says she was out getting her hair done.
Lindsay is telling her friends and family, when she returned to the house, Holland grabbed her abruptly and pushed her so hard, Lindsay began to cry. Lindsay says that’s when she went inside the house and called 911.
As for refusing to take a breathalyzer, Lindsay says she actually asked Holland to give her a test but Holland refused. Lindsay claims there were not only witnesses that saw everything … there are surveillance cameras to prove her story.
Lohan, who is currently on probation, was ordered to remain in rehab through Jan. 3. A condition of her probation is that she obey all laws.
Steve Cron, a Criminal Defense Attorney in Santa Monica and a Professor at Pepperdine University Law School, told “Access Hollywood” on Tuesday night that the alleged incident could mean big trouble for Lohan.
“Lindsay Lohan was told to follow the rules of her probation. Assaulting someone would clearly be a violation of the program,” he explained.
“This could be a new crime,” he continued, noting that authorities would have to finish their investigation before that determination is made by a District Attorney, who would then decide whether to prosecute. “If Lindsay were convicted she would clearly be in trouble.”
I believe that Lindsey did exactly what this woman says she did, but talking to the media about a paitent is a definite NO, NO…. Holland has a great lawsuit waiting in the wings!!!
Yes…I can’t believe she would talk to the media. Obviously she made a conscious decision to pursue the media route. She’ll probably make more in one interview than she’ll make in a year as a counselor (unfortunately).
This woman seems extremely unprofessional.
1. I’ve worked in treatment centers. Sometimes patients get out of hand physically. And sometimes they can be violent. But the workers don’t sue the patients. That’s unheard of.
Those situations come with the job territory. There are in-house ways of handling it.
Would she do this with a non-celebrity patient?
2. If Lindsay was so violent, why didn’t security restrain her? This woman claims that security asked her to come and do the alcohol test. So, they didn’t restrain Lindsay? Doesn’t sound credible. Even if this happened, then the problem is with center security and response to threatening situations. Treatment centers should be equipped to handle violence and subdue people. But I guess that won’t generate money like a lawsuit might, huh.
3. Why would you break your professional protocol and discuss patient situations.
I don’t feel any sympathy or support for this lady. I’m glad she’s fired.
Patient confidentiality should NEVER EVER be compromised. That being said, I am sick and tired of Lindsay Lohan and her shit. The woman should’ve beat her senseless on her way out.
Too bad this woman behaved in an unprofessional manner, and it’s too bad she lost her job over this little bitch.