Sydney Danielle Clay, 36, a nurse at Advanced Healthcare of Nashville, reported multiple false allegations against traveling nurse Kaleisha Lacks to human resources on August 8. According to the report, Lacks ignored a patient’s concerns, did not take vital signs on the night of August 8, did not call an ambulance when needed, and did not document the patient’s health complaints. Clay then said the patient was found dead in her bed the next morning due to her neglect. Police officers, TBI agents, and human resources then made an unannounced visit to the facility. There, they spoke with administrators, who immediately presented them with patient records, case notes, and all of the nurses who were scheduled for appointments from August 6 to August 10.
Records from the facility revealed that she was not in the building or at her work site when Clay claimed negligence occurred. It was also discovered that the patient had experienced shortness of breath on the evening of August 9, and that the traveling nurse was not working the night before her death. The police report stated that it was proven that Clay knowingly filed a false report about the incident. Marquita Williams, the facility’s manager, subsequently told police that Clay had a history of making false allegations of neglect and abuse. Williams added that he had made multiple false allegations about other employees with whom he did not get along. Police found that all of the allegations Clay made were false and untrue. On September 9, a warrant for Clay’s arrest was obtained. Clay was taken into custody on September 10 on three counts of false allegations of abuse and neglect of a vulnerable adult.
Sydney Danielle Clay, of Hopeland Drive in Nashville, Tennessee, was booked into the Metro Nashville Jail on Sept. 10 and charged with false accusation, adult sexual abuse and three counts of child neglect. A judicial commissioner set her bail at $7,500 and the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office granted her pretrial release from the facility.
Have comments or questions about this story?
Email the editor: jason@scoopnashville.com
Phone: 1-888-614-NEWS (1-888-614-6397)
If your address is listed in an article or affidavit, please email redact@scoopnashville.com.
