In the peaceful, wooded resort towns of Northern Wisconsin, a heartbreaking story has emerged from a young woman who says she was put in an unthinkable situation while simply doing her job. Now she’s traumatized and wants to know if she has any legal options.
An 18-year-old housekeeper from Wisconsin, who posted on Reddit, is remaining anonymous for privacy. While she was working at a high-end resort in the region, she and another young coworker were sent to clean a cabin. What they discovered was a disturbing scene, where a guest tried to take their life.
Emergency services were contacted, but due to HIPAA laws, the staff was not informed of the woman’s condition or whether she survived. However, what happened next left the teen emotionally shaken and questioning her legal rights.
Wisconsin Teen Forced To Clean Up Crime Scene At Local Resort
According to the housekeeper, after law enforcement cleared the scene, both police and management told her and her coworker that it was their responsibility to clean up the aftermath, despite neither of them having any formal training in biohazard or trauma scene cleanup.
“The most I’ve done before is spot clean a few blood drops,” she shared in the post. “This was a completely different situation. There were fluids, evidence, and materials everywhere.”
While her manager offered some minimal assistance, the bulk of the cleanup was left to the teenagers. She described going home that night and taking a long shower, desperate to scrub away what she had witnessed. “All my manager did was give me a fist bump,” she said. “When I got home that night, I took probably the longest shower of my life trying to scrub my skin completely clean,” she added.
Since the incident, the young woman says she has been battling severe anxiety, nausea, and sleeplessness, even outside of work. Friends and family have encouraged her to pursue legal action, something she’s never considered before but is now exploring. She also notes that she has saved voice memos, photos, and other evidence documenting the ordeal.
The Internet Is Sympathetic
This story sheds light on the emotional toll of undertrained hospitality workers being put in situations far beyond their job descriptions. While legal experts would need to weigh in, many online have rallied around the young woman, calling for accountability, compassion, and mental health resources.
“As a former workers compensation adjuster, I can tell you that in some states, you could file a claim for mental health if this caused you to develop a condition. In my state if a worker filed a workers compensation claim for mental health injury (PTSD or anxiety) this could be a covered claim. I would look into your workers comp laws in your state or even reach out to an attorney who specializes in workers comp laws and ask. A lot of attorneys will do free consultations,” one person commented.
“I’m sorry. That’s horrible. Everybody knows there are companies that perform this particular kind of work. As everybody suggests, talk to an employment lawyer. Who can say, but if it’s a high end resort it seems to me the kind of thing they’d rather settle than litigate in public,” another stated.
Sadly, this Wisconsin teen will likely never forget the situation. Hopefully, she’ll be able to process any trauma and be able to move forward in a healthy way.
If you or someone you know is struggling, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 at 988.
Nina Franklin 
Sofia Bassett 
