CHELSEA - Chelsea Soldiers' Home superintendent Eric Johnson has been fired, days after the WBZ-TV I-Team raised questions about his leadership and the care of veterans.
Chief Investigative Reporter Cheryl Fiandaca tracked Johnson down last week, but he refused to talk about the letter from the Inspector General that blasted the "terrible" conditions at the home.
In an email to employees Thursday, the secretary of veterans services told staff Johnson no longer works at the soldiers' home.
Johnson was put out on leave last year, amid allegations of sexual harassment and bullying. He was back on the job months later. The Inspector General's letter raised new concerns about his honesty and claims by employees of retaliation.
In a letter sent to MaryLou Sudders, the Health and Human Services Secretary, the I.G. slammed the Baker administration for failing to take action to protect veterans at the Chelsea Home, saying they knew about the problems and did nothing about it.
The letter details dozens of reports from 2022 including one from the state's own inspectors that found, "rooms in the Domiciliary were in 'terrible' condition, with feces, dead rodents, dirt and bugs present. These conditions point to a catastrophic failure of the Home's leadership."
Another report said veterans at the Home had been found lying "soaked in urine and sitting in feces."
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