Yakima Nursing Assistant Charged Following Allegations of Sexual Assault and Workplace Intimidation

The Washington State Department of Health has filed a formal Statement of Charges against Yakima-based nursing assistant Manuel Alcala, alleging a disturbing multi-year pattern of sexual harassment, assault, and workplace intimidation.

The charges center on Alcala’s conduct while employed at State Operated Living Alternatives in Yakima, a position he began in approximately April 2020.

According to the Department of Health’s Nursing Assistant Program, Alcala subjected multiple coworkers to a highly toxic and predatory environment during his tenure.

A Pattern of Escalating Harassment

State investigators outlined a litany of sexually inappropriate behaviors targeting coworkers. The allegations state that Alcala frequently commented on coworkers’ physical appearances and regularly asked about their sex lives.

He also allegedly sent unsolicited pornographic links and videos to staff and attempted to give coworkers sex toys, asking them to record themselves using the items. On another occasion, he reportedly offered coworkers a wedding ring.

The behavior brazenly crossed into the workplace environment. On January 6, 2024, Alcala allegedly used a client’s tablet to play a pornographic video. When a coworker asked him to stop, he connected the tablet to the house’s Bluetooth system and directed sexually explicit comments at the coworker.

Allegations of Assault

The most severe allegations detail repeated physical and sexual assaults against a specific individual, identified in the charging document as “Coworker A,” between June 2023 and January 2024.

The charging document states Alcala cornered Coworker A in a client’s bedroom on at least two occasions, preventing her from leaving while making sexual advances that she attempted to deny. On one of these occasions, he attempted to pull down her pants and tugged at her underwear. On a separate occasion in the home, after other staff had departed, Alcala allegedly “forcefully put his hand under her clothes and digitally penetrated Coworker A.”

The abuse allegedly extended beyond the facility and into the community. During client outings, Alcala is accused of holding Coworker A on his lap against her will and, during a separate outing, shoving his hand down her pants. During the rides back, he would sit next to her, rub her thighs, and attempt to unbutton her pants.

On another occasion, while Coworker A was driving, Alcala allegedly demanded to see her breasts. When she refused, he pulled down her shirt and bra, exposing her, and grabbed her bare breast. In yet another incident, Alcala allegedly gave Coworker A a massage where he pulled down her pants and touched her bare skin, including her butt, inner thigh, and vaginal area.

Intimidation and Patient Risk

When confronted by coworkers who repeatedly asked him to stop his behavior, Alcala allegedly refused, laughing it off and claiming he was “just kidding” before continuing the harassment.

The charging document notes that his actions cultivated a culture of fear. Multiple victims and witnesses reported they were afraid to come forward due to Alcala’s retaliation tactics, which included threats of physical harm, intimidation, and threats to their professional careers.

Furthermore, Alcala’s conduct allegedly jeopardized patient safety. On at least one occasion, he allegedly locked a coworker out of a client’s house, potentially putting the vulnerable clients inside at risk.

Alcala, who received his active nursing assistant-registered credential in February 2019, is charged with unprofessional conduct under RCW 18.130.180(1), which covers acts involving moral turpitude, dishonesty, or corruption. He is currently subject to discipline and the imposition of sanctions from the state.