A shocking civil rights lawsuit has been filed, alleging severe medical neglect leading to a life-threatening condition. On August 13, 2024, Walter Lee Dailey filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana against Heather Patterson and Sheriff John S. Craft.
The case revolves around Dailey's arrest on February 11, 2023, and subsequent incarceration at Vernon Parish Jail. After being transferred to and from Sabine Parish Detention Center in June 2023, Dailey was allowed to attend the Adult Challenge Program in Ruston. It was during this program that he tested positive for HIV on July 7, 2023. The diagnosis profoundly affected him, leading him to request a return to Vernon Parish Jail on July 19, 2023.
Upon his return, Dailey informed jail officials of his HIV status and provided documentation confirming his diagnosis. Despite this, Heather Patterson allegedly instructed him to keep his condition secret and falsely claim he had a cold. Dailey remained in the general population without medication until he was moved to the drunk tank. Even after testing positive again for HIV on July 25, Patterson did not provide any medication until August 25 when Physician’s Assistant Todd Warren prescribed three medications.
Dailey's health deteriorated significantly during this period without treatment. He experienced flu-like symptoms that progressed into pneumonia by late August. His condition worsened until he was finally taken to Byrd Hospital on August 31 and placed in intensive care shortly thereafter. By September 4, doctors informed his family that his HIV had progressed to full-blown AIDS due to the lack of timely treatment.
Dailey spent months in critical condition, including time in a medically induced coma and multiple hospital transfers for rehabilitation. His sister reported that Patterson had told Dailey they were waiting for Red Cross approval before administering medication due to its cost—a delay that nearly cost him his life.
The lawsuit accuses Patterson and Sheriff Craft of failing to provide necessary medical care, resulting in cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments. The complaint seeks compensatory and punitive damages for pain, suffering, emotional distress, brain damage due to prolonged oxygen deprivation, and ongoing assisted living needs.
Representing Walter Lee Dailey is attorney Mary K. Beaird from Leesville, Louisiana. The case is presided over by Judge John S. Craft with Case ID: 2:24-cv-01089.