Labor and delivery nurse accused of fracturing adopted child’s skull

MONROE, La. (KNOE/Gray News) - A labor and delivery nurse was fired from the hospital where he worked after he was accused of fracturing the skull of his adopted child.

Dustin Clark, 30, was arrested on Sept. 16, according to the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office. He was charged with second-degree cruelty to juveniles, cruelty to juveniles, and domestic abuse battery or child endangerment.

The sheriff’s office said a nurse from Morehouse General Hospital called them when a 5-month-old was brought in with swelling and a fractured skull.

Nurses told deputies the infant lived alone with Clark as his adopted child.

The sheriff’s office said Clark told them he was feeding the baby on Sept. 14, who had been fussy all day. Clark said he “snapped” and slapped the baby after trying multiple times to calm it down.

Court documents show a friend went to Clark’s house and took the baby.

According to court documents, the friend brought the baby to Morehouse General Hospital to be examined for serious injury.

The infant was then transported to Shreveport for more critical care.

According to court documents, Clark is a labor and delivery nurse at a local hospital. St. Francis Hospital in Monroe confirmed in a statement that one of its employees was recently arrested.

“The safety and security of our patients, team members and community are our top priorities,” St. Francis Hospital said. “Our team member hiring process is extremely rigorous and includes background checks, multiple reference checks and other nationally recognized best practices. At this time, we can’t share any further details of the situation due to workplace privacy laws.”

Clark’s bond was set at $15,000.