Kenneth Hass, a patient at Oregon State Hospital, died from water intoxication after allegedly drinking more than five gallons of toilet water while state hospital workers failed to intervene, according to a lawsuit filed by his family.
Background
Hass had been kept in isolation for 250 consecutive days before his death in March 2025, the complaint states. During that time, his family alleges he was denied clean clothes and showers and left in locked rooms smeared with feces and urine. The legal filing describes a history of concerning behavior where Hass would submerge his head completely in his toilet and slip on water he splashed out of it. According to the complaint, OSH staff were aware of multiple instances when Hass experienced symptoms consistent with water intoxication, including vomiting, but allegedly failed to develop a treatment plan and instead relied heavily on isolation and four-point restraints.
Court-ordered medical evaluations conducted before his hospitalization had found that Hass exhibited signs of delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thoughts, the complaint says. He arrived at OSH after being charged with two counts of assaulting a public safety officer and second-degree criminal trespassing for a mental health evaluation.
The Investigation
On the day of his death, Hass was in a seclusion room when he allegedly consumed an estimated 89 cups of toilet water, approximately 5.1 gallons, over a span of three hours, according to the legal complaint. Staff members reportedly failed to monitor him or document his behavior during this time.
"You don't have to chart it," one worker said as Hass drank, according to the lawsuit's account.
The complaint alleges that Hass fell multiple times and vomited while staff watched. One fall occurred when he crawled onto a toilet seat and attempted to stand on it. "His foot slipped inside the bowl," the document states. "Mr. Hass fell backward off the toilet, struck his head on the door, and fell to the floor. Mr. Hass vomited as his head struck the door and floor."
After falling, Hass' face allegedly turned red and he appeared to be choking while spitting up white liquid foam. His limbs were described as jerking and twitching in the complaint.
When a Code Blue was called indicating the need for lifesaving measures, workers did not immediately respond, according to the family. A team assembled to secure Hass, described as especially aggressive by staff, refused to enter his seclusion room to render aid. Approximately three minutes passed before his movements began to slow, the complaint alleges.
"His breaths became longer, slower, and deeper," according to the legal filing. "Mr. Hass went completely."
More than four minutes after Hass' fall, OSH staff entered his room and checked his pulse. Five minutes and forty seconds after the fall, staff finally began CPR compressions, the complaint says.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services conducted an audit following the incident and found "significant" life-threatening delays in emergency response, a "lack of understanding in emergency responses" by staff, and a "disorganized response causing further delay and confusion." The audit noted that multiple staff responded to the seclusion room but gathered in the hallway without approaching Hass or providing emergency aid for more than five minutes.
"No one brought the crash cart until OSH staff entered the seclusion room and it lacked oxygen," the complaint alleges. "No one started CPR for over five minutes. No one used the AED that arrived with the crash cart."
First responders arrived approximately 15 minutes after Hass' fall and took over lifesaving measures, according to the complaint. He was pronounced dead after 47 minutes.
Key Takeaways
- Kenneth Hass allegedly drank approximately 5.1 gallons (89 cups) of toilet water in three hours while confined to a seclusion room at Oregon State Hospital
- Staff reportedly failed to monitor or document his behavior as he consumed the water, the lawsuit claims
- A Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services audit found significant delays in emergency response after Hass fell
- CPR was not started until nearly six minutes after his fall, according to the legal complaint
- Hass had been held in isolation for 250 consecutive days before his death, his family alleges
- The lawsuit claims staff knew he was a high fall risk who would "often drink dangerous amounts of water"
What's Next
Hass' family is suing Oregon State Hospital and the Oregon Health Authority for negligence, physical abuse of a vulnerable person, wrongful death, and alleged violations of his constitutional rights. The complaint states that defendants knew Hass was a high fall risk with a serious medical condition who had been showing increased symptoms indicative of treatment failures. OSH and OHA have not responded to requests for comment. OHA told local NBC affiliate KGW that it does not comment on active litigation.