Home Economy Government Report: Gabriel House owner faced legal dispute, harassment claims

Report: Gabriel House owner faced legal dispute, harassment claims

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PBN Staff

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07/15/2025

Massachusetts Fatal Fire — AN INVESTIGATOR takes measurements Monday near an entrance to the Gabriel House assisted-living facility following a fire that started late July 13. Dennis Etzkorn, owner of the Fall River assisted-living facility where nine residents died in the fire, has faced multiple criminal charges and sexual harassment lawsuits the past two decades, WPRI-TV CBS 12 reported Tuesday. /ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO/STEVEN SENNE

FALL RIVER – The owner of an assisted-living facility where nine residents died in a July 13 fire has faced multiple criminal charges and sexual harassment lawsuits over the past two decades, WPRI-TV CBS 12 reported Tuesday. Gabriel House owner Dennis Etzkorn and his companies was the focus of a Medicaid kickback scheme in 2015

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FALL RIVER – The owner of an assisted-living facility where nine residents died in a July 13 fire has faced multiple criminal charges and sexual harassment lawsuits over the past two decades, WPRI-TV CBS 12 reported Tuesday. Gabriel House owner Dennis Etzkorn and his companies was the focus of a Medicaid kickback scheme in 2015 and two former female employees accused him of sexual assault from incidents in the early 2000s, according to the report. Etzkorn and two other defendants settled the criminal case over the Medicaid kickbacks for $950,000. The settlement, which states Etzkorn did not admit nor deny the allegations, came three years a grand jury indicted Etzkorn and accused him of paying $150 kickbacks to people who referred clients to sign up for Medicaid-funded adult foster care through a company he owned called Gabriel Care LLC. That company is legally separate from Gabriel Care Inc., which operates the Fall River assisted-living facility, but court documents indicate they shared administrative staff. In 2003, a registered nurse, Catherine Gaw, and her husband accused Etzkorn of creating a toxic workplace at Gabriel House and claimed in a federal lawsuit she was sexually harassed. Gaw accused Etzkorn of regularly making unwanted sexual remarks toward her, and to her 14-year-old daughter on one occasion. Etzkorn filed a countersuit, accusing Gaw of trying to coerce him into paying her a percentage of Gabriel House profits under the guise of baseless allegations. The two sides settled the case outside of court eight months later. In 2011, Loriann Lajoie, who was the Gabriel House bookkeeper and receptionist at the time, accused Etzkorn of sexual harassment. Etzkorn countersued, claiming Lajoie and two other female employees were all close and intimate friends who confided in him “intimate details of their personal lives and sex lives.” That case was settled out of court as well. Etzkorn, who was seen surveying the damage from the blaze on Monday, has previously disputed the claims and did not respond to WPRI’s request for comment. Officials said he is cooperating with the investigation. Firefighters responded to Gabriel House at about 9:50 p.m. on July 13 and were met with heavy smoke and flames at the front of the building. The fire trapped residents inside, including some who were hanging out windows screaming for help, authorities said Monday. At least 30 people were hurt. About 50 firefighters responded to the scene, including 30 who were off-duty. Police also helped break down doors and carried about a dozen residents to safety. Five injured firefighters were released from the hospital Monday. The origin and cause of the blaze are under investigation with the Bristol County district attorney’s office saying Monday that the cause “does not appear to be suspicious.” The Gabriel House is an assisted living facility that opened in 1999 and has 100 units, according to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging and Independence. The facility's website promotes studio apartments “for those seniors who cannot afford the high end of assisted living” as well as group adult foster care within walking distance of shopping, restaurants and churches. Those who live alone in studio apartments pay from $1,850 to $2,400 per month, depending on their level of services, according to the website. The residence also offers a basic living plan that includes shared studio apartments but doesn't specify a price. “If an emergency occurs, no matter the time, there will be someone ready to help,” the website states. Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.