Thursday, December 23, 2010

Lindsay Lohan's Alleged Victim Fired From Betty Ford

Dawn Holland, a Betty Ford Center staffer who claimed Lindsay Lohan assaulted her, has been fired from the treatment center, RadarOnline reports. "Betty Ford Center terminated me, and I'm now going full force," she said. "[It was] due to breach of patient confidentiality because I did an interview with TMZ," she added.


Riverside County sheriff's detectives said Tuesday they are investigating the 'Mean Girls' star for an alleged altercation with a worker at a Betty Ford Center facility in Palm Desert, Calif., that occurred after 1AM on Dec. 12. The agency declined to say what prompted the fight, but said the worker was interested in pursuing charges against Lohan.

Betty Ford spokesman Russ Patrick said the staffer was fired for identifying patients at the center in the interview, "disclosing a privileged document" and violating HIPAA laws.

Holland appeared in an interview on celebrity website TMZ on Tuesday afternoon, claiming Lohan and two other girls had left the facility without permission. In the video, Holland claims she was trying to get Lohan to submit to a breathalyzer test when the actress became belligerent, pushed her and snatched a phone from her hand, straining her arm.

"Lindsay and two other patients had snuck out, went drinking and tried to sneak back in and they got caught. We were told by our administration on-call to do a breathalyzer test, which she refused to do," Holland told TMZ. "She was angry and out of control."

Holland says Lohan pushed her after she asked the actress to remove her hands from another patient. As Holland, Lohan and the two other patients went inside, Holland said Lohan "kept yelling and cursing and screaming." At this point, Holland called the police.

"She tried to snatch the phone from out of my arm," Holland claimed. "She grabbed my wrist and twisted my arm and my hand to get the phone."

According to Holland, TMZ paid her at least $10,000 for the interview and photos of her injuries.

Lohan has not been arrested or charged in the incident. Her attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, said in an e-mailed statement that it was the actress who called for police.

While the fallout for Holland was swift, Lohan's situation remains unclear. A judge has ordered her to remain at Betty Ford until Jan. 3 and remain out of trouble until Feb. 25. RadarOnline.com reports that while Lohan originally refused to take a breathalyzer test, she did pass an alcohol test a few hours later.

The judge also ordered her to submit to random drug and alcohol screenings or face up to six months in jail for violating her probation on a 3-year-old drunk driving case. Lohan has been receiving treatment at Betty Ford and its facilities since late September.

Riverside County sheriff's Deputy Herlinda Valenzuela said Lohan's case would be presented to prosecutors, who will decide whether Lohan will face new charges.

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