A Nathaniel Witherell nursing home employee who was filmed directing racist slurs at a woman in a Stamford grocery store will return to work after a town investigation found no history of discrimination at the facility, First Selectman Fred Camillo announced Friday, Aug. 14.
The employee was captured on a TikTok video in June confronting Sarina Gupta at Grade A Market on Hope Street in Stamford. In the footage, the woman told Gupta to "go back to your (expletive) country" and "stay out of America," called her "swine" and a "nasty-ass lady," and repeatedly held up her middle finger to the camera.
The video went viral, prompting Nathaniel Witherell Executive Director John Mastronardi to announce an internal investigation. The town-owned facility at 70 Parsonage Road has operated as Greenwich's public nursing home since 1903.
Camillo said the investigation examined the employee's work history and included interviews with colleagues. Neither showed evidence of discriminatory behavior at the nursing home, according to Greenwich Time.
In a written statement, Camillo said the town addressed the matter internally and is confident no discriminatory or inappropriate behavior occurred at Nathaniel Witherell. He added the town is taking measures to prevent future issues but did not specify what those measures are.
Mastronardi did not respond to Greenwich Time's request for comment on the investigation's conclusion.
Gupta calls decision 'heartbreaking'
Gupta criticized the reinstatement, calling it "heartbreaking and deeply concerning that the town of Greenwich condones racism. Someone who publicly targeted an innocent person with racist abuse is being welcomed back to work caring for some of the community's most vulnerable residents."
She questioned whether patients of color who depend on staff for care and cannot advocate for themselves would be treated with dignity at the facility.
Camillo declined to respond to Gupta's comments.
Threats during investigation
Camillo said he and other town staff received racist attacks and threats of violence during the roughly two-month investigation. He described a deluge of phone calls from blocked numbers that included racist slurs directed at him for being Italian and implied threats against town employees' homes.
He said the town would not be intimidated and would give the employee due process rather than respond to threats.
The employee's name has not been publicly identified. The Stamford Advocate's original June report described her as allegedly working as a nurse, but the town has referred to her only as an "employee" without confirming her specific role.
No next steps or public hearings on the matter have been announced.
