Woman recants claims that Waseca nursing home's COVID testing was meant to kill

A southern Minnesota woman has apologized and recanted her widely viewed accusations that a nursing home where her aunt lives was testing residents for COVID-19 in an effort to try to kill them.

The reversal by Renae Groskreutz, of Waldorf, Minn., came in exchange for the operator of the Lakeshore Inn Nursing Home in Waseca dropping the defamation lawsuit filed against the woman early this month.

The suit alleged that Groskreutz defamed the 55-bed senior center in Facebook videos posted in late July, when she said it was testing without proper permission for what she said was a "fake pandemic" and then called on everyone to avoid testing and skip wearing a mask.

Groskreutz signed an agreement with the nursing home that called on her to remove the videos from Facebook and destroy all copies, and replace them permanently with one of her expressing a change of heart.

"I posted videos on Facebook regarding Lake Shore Inn Nursing Home Incorporated that included false statements," she said in the new video posted Tuesday. The earlier videos are no longer on her Facebook page.

"I was wrong to state in my videos that [the facility] wanted to or intended to harm any resident," Groskreutz read. "I believe it has followed the state of Minnesota protocol procedures regarding COVID-19 in good faith. And I apologize to Lake Shore Inn Nursing Home Incorporated, including its employees and residents for my false statement."

Attorney John Hamer said Wednesday on behalf of Groskreutz that "the parties worked together to resolve the matter. … It was a fair and creative resolution. I applaud both sides for using this situation as an opportunity to bring their community together, rather than divide."

Groskreutz's initial video ran nearly seven minutes and had been viewed more than 23,000 times in the first couple of weeks, while three follow-up videos, totaling almost 30 minutes and defending her initial posting, had been viewed a collective 10,000 times.

"Swabbing the nursing home residents and the memory care residents is not going to stop whatever little fake pandemic they have going on," she contended. "Yes, there is a virus. They haven't had a case at the nursing home, so why are you invading my aunt's body?"

She also pleaded with video viewers to defy health officials and refuse to be tested for COVID-19 if asked and to forgo wearing a mask, which helps stymie the spread of the deadly virus.

"They are wanting to kill our elderly. … Do not get tested. They don't need your DNA. … We are being kept away from [elderly relatives] for a fake pandemic, people."

Before the settlement agreement was reached this week, the suit filed in Waseca County District Court was seeking at least $250,000 in damages along with removal of the videos and an apology.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482