A nurse who sued a Des Moines senior living facility for allegedly firing her for reporting wrongdoing has dismissed her lawsuit.

Rebecca Couchot sued Scottish Rite Park in April, alleging that she reported a coworker's abuse of an elderly patient, only to be fired without explanation two weeks later. State records show Scottish Rite, a 156-unit facility offering independent living, skilled nursing and memory care options, was fined $500 in 2021 after inspectors found a staff member had wrongly restrained a patient with dementia to a chair.

In her lawsuit, Couchot says she reported the incident to Scottish Rite officials, one of whom allegedly suggested she "turn a blind eye." Two weeks later, she said, President and CEO Dan Boor called her while she was on vacation to fire her. When she asked if it was due to her reporting abuse, Boor responded "I'm sorry" and hung up, according to the complaint.

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The case was set for trial in March 2024, but on July 31, Couchot's attorneys filed to permanently dismiss the case. It is not clear from court records if the parties reached a settlement, and attorneys for Couchot and the facility did not respond to messages seeking comment.

William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at [email protected], 715-573-8166 or on Twitter at @DMRMorris.

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