A resident at the state-run Rainier School in Buckley was punched in the left eye by a caregiver on Aug. 1, 2025, suffering a broken orbital bone and other injuries that required hospital treatment. The resident's family filed a lawsuit against the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) on June 25, 2026, alleging negligence and abuse of a vulnerable adult. The complaint identifies the resident as 41-year-old Shawn Hassig, who has nonverbal autism, an intellectual disability and an anxiety disorder. Hassig remains at Rainier School and, according to the suit, has shown signs of post-traumatic stress since the assault.
According to The News Tribune, the complaint and police records state that Hassig vomited after eating a package of cookies, and an attendant counselor, 26-year-old Zachary Zydek, tried to force him out of bed to clean up the mess. When Hassig resisted, Zydek punched him, those records say. Zydek later told Buckley police he "screwed up" and pleaded guilty in March to fourth-degree assault. Court records cited by the paper show he received two years of unsupervised probation and a suspended one-year jail term as part of a plea agreement.
About Rainier School
According to the Washington DSHS Rainier School page, the campus provides long-term residential habilitation and 24-hour services for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. The state site describes the facility as offering on-campus care and support for people with a wide range of needs, a mission that stands in stark contrast to the allegations now facing the agency.
Claims, plea and agency response
The lawsuit claims DSHS breached its duty to protect Hassig and failed to properly train and supervise staff, and it seeks unspecified damages and legal fees, according to The News Tribune. The complaint says staff did not follow Hassig's behavioral support plan and that, since the incident, he has refused to get out of bed and has avoided activities he previously took part in.
James Chong, one of the attorneys representing Hassig and his mother, called the episode "a clear case of public agency failure" in comments cited by the paper. The filing also notes that DSHS confirmed Zydek's employment ended the day after the assault, a swift personnel move that now sits at the center of a much bigger legal and ethical fight over how Washington cares for its most vulnerable residents.
