Former Glen Cove nursing home aide Philip Harris convicted of assaulting 2 disabled patients, AG says
Glengariff Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Glen Cove in 2023. Credit: Danielle Silverman
A former Glen Cove nursing home aide was convicted Wednesday of sexually assaulting two disabled residents under his care in 2022, according to the New York State Attorney General's office.
A Nassau County jury found Phillip Harris, 43, of Central Islip, guilty of three counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person; two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a vulnerable elderly person, or an incompetent or physically disabled person; two counts of willful violation of public health laws and two counts of forcible touching.
The jury found Harris not guilty of three counts of falsifying business records related to alleged false statements he made during the investigation.
Harris told State Health Department inspectors who investigated the crimes at Glengariff Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center that "God and angels" helped him provide care for residents.
"Every nursing home resident deserves high-quality care and should be able to trust that their caregivers will treat them with dignity and respect," Attorney General Letitia James said. "Phillip Harris’ despicable crimes endangered vulnerable nursing home residents, and now my office has brought him to justice."
Harris, who began working as a certified nursing assistant at Glengariff in late December 2021, faces a maximum sentence of 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison for each of the two victims when he is sentenced on Dec. 19.
Kevin Maccarone, Harris' Glen Cove-based defense attorney, did not respond to a request for comment.
Prosecutors said that in March 2022, Harris sexually assaulted two disabled residents — one of whom reported it to his wife and daughter. The family members then reported the crime to the Glen Cove Police Department and to the nursing home, which launched an investigation that later uncovered the other assault, authorities said.
The State Health Department, which investigated the crimes, reported that the two residents had extensive mobility issues and required assistance with bathing. They alleged that Harris assaulted them at least on one occasion during a bed bath.
One resident said in an interview with Glengariff staff that they could not "face their family due to the shame of the incident," a Health Department report states. "[The resident] was observed during the interview crying with tears dripping from their cheeks and shaking. ... [The resident] was observed making a fist and waving their hands and stated, this should have not happened. "
A second resident told family members of experiencing a similar assault from Harris.
Harris denied committing sexual abuse, telling inspectors that "God and Angels helped me taking care of residents and helped my days and nights go smooth, easy, and fast. ... God gave me a mission to help people. They had a special gift of knowledge to take care of people, and they can utilize it to assist residents."
Harris was fired and Glengariff was fined $10,000 for failing to "ensure residents' rights to be free from sexual abuse."
Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.
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