Illinois Valley Times

Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) said on March 19 that she received more than  2,300 documents about the LaSalle Veterans' Home COVID-19 outbreak in November. The outbreak infected 90% of the residents and killed 34.

The senator submitted an FOIA request for the investigation in rebuttal to the lack of information provided on the case. 

"It's important that we find out what exactly did happen during the outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans' Home to cause the largest, deadliest outbreak in a state facility in the history of Illinois," Rezin said on her Twitter in March. 

There have been speculations that the virus was introduced to the home after staff members attended a Halloween party, failed to follow CDC guidelines in the workplace and returned to work despite having positive COVID test results. Four affected families have since decided to file a lawsuit against the state in response to the outbreak. 

"They observed inappropriate screening protocol at the staff entrance to the facility," Chicago attorney Mike Bonamarte said, ABC 7 reported. "They reported staff congregating, not social distancing; not always wearing masks or having their masks around their chins." 

The initial investigation was delayed and is under scrutiny after it was revealed that it took 12 days after the outbreak for officials to visit the home. However, The poor mishandling of the spread may only see civil charges.

"What we are looking at here may likelier be a case of negligence rather than intentional or even reckless misconduct. In theory, there could be a criminal prosecution...but it's much easier to see how a civil case would be brought," ABC7 legal analyst and previous federal prosecutor Gil Soffer said in an interview with ABC 7.

The families who file the lawsuit will be eligible for up to $2 million in compensation for their lost loved ones.

The home administrator has since been terminated, and the health director was placed on leave while the COVID outbreak continued to be investigated.