Orangeburg man wins defamation lawsuit

ORANGEBURG, S.C. (AP) — A former Orangeburg nursing home employee has won a defamation lawsuit against his former employer.

The Times and Democrat of Orangeburg reported (http://bit.ly/1q2u2g4) that Ralph C. Williams Sr. has been awarded $1 million after being acquitted of charges he sexually assaulted a resident at the home.

Williams was awarded nearly $900,000 in punitive damages and about $100,000 in actual damages.

Court records show the jury ruled against UniHealth Post Acute Care LLC and two employees at the home.

Williams had been charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct and abuse of a vulnerable adult in 2010. His attorney, Java Warren, said the sexual conduct charge was dropped and a jury cleared him on the abuse charge.

Attorneys for the nursing home could not be reached for comment.

___

Information from: The Times & Democrat, http://www.timesanddemocrat.com