What about employee rights? 

I am very impressed by Colin Rigley’s extremely accurate Dec. 2 article, “A history of violence,” which pertains to Atascadero State Hospital.

The patients at ASH who refuse to take physician-prescribed medications because of patients’ rights may not get well. Without medication, many patients can become violent and attack employees and other patients.

Perhaps it is time to bring forth an Employee Bill of Rights class-action suit.

1. Employees have the right not to be harmed by mentally ill patients.

2. Employees have the right not to have to fear for their lives every workday.

3. Employees should have the right not to ruin their health with 16-hour mandatory workdays.

4. Employees should have the right to get back recent pay cuts and not have to take unpaid furloughs.

5. Employees should have the right to be treated with respect and not have to endure being spit on by patients or have to endure being pelted with urine and fecal material by patients.

The employees at ASH are true community heroes and should be recognized as such.

In conclusion, it appears that patients housed in California mental institutions are running the hospitals, all because of patients’ rights that mentally ill patients cannot comprehend or will not comprehend.