Nurse at Good Samaritan hospital accused of 'violently' slamming 2-day-old infant
The allegations "are truly disturbing,” Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a statement. Credit: Newsday / Steve Pfost
A nurse who worked at Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip has been arrested on charges that she “violently" slammed a 2-day-old infant face down into his bassinet in the hospital nursery in a February incident captured on video by the newborn’s father, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.
Amanda Burke, 29, of Holbrook, voluntarily turned herself in to police to face a misdemeanor charge for endangering the welfare of a child. She received a desk appearance ticket and will be arraigned May 2, prosecutors said.
The district attorney's office declined comment on the baby's condition.
“The allegations against [Burke], who is someone entrusted with the care of our most vulnerable citizens, are truly disturbing,” Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a statement.
According to the district attorney's office: "Burke approached the newborn while he was lying in a bassinet, lifted him up, quickly flipped him over, and violently slammed him face down on the bassinet."
The infant’s father recorded the incident through the nursery window and the child’s mother confronted Burke before notifying other hospital nurses.
A registered nurse working in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit at the time, Burke’ was terminated within hours of the Feb. 6 incident after the baby’s mother reported the alleged abuse, prosecutors said.
Burke’s defense attorney, Robert C. Gottlieb, of Manhattan, called his client an “exceptional, caring and loving nurse.”
“[She] has always provided safe care for every infant,” Gottlieb said. “The filing of criminal charges based on the evidence in this case is preposterous. This case has no place in criminal court and we will prove that.”
Gottlieb declined to answer additional questions about the incident or his client’s employment history.
A spokesperson for Catholic Health, which operates the hospital, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Prosecutors said they have notified the state education department's Office of Professional Discipline about the findings of their investigation, but Burke’s license to practice as a registered nurse has not been suspended.
Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.
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Newsday Live Music Series: Long Island Idols Newsday Live presents a special evening of music and conversation with local singers who grabbed the national spotlight on shows like "The Voice," "America's Got Talent,""The X-Factor" and "American Idol." Newsday Senior Lifestyle Host Elisa DiStefano leads a discussion and audience Q&A as the singers discuss their TV experiences, careers and perform original songs.
