Dawn Holland, who works as a chemical technician at the Betty Ford Clinic, tells us on Sunday, December 12, just after 1 AM, Lindsay and two roommates came home from a night on the town ... violating the curfew policy.

Holland says Lindsay and company jumped a wall, trying to get inside the place she was staying without being noticed. Holland says security stopped the three women, and that's when Lindsay became belligerent and started swearing up a storm.

Holland says she was called to do a breathalyzer on the 3 women, but Lindsay refused and then pushed her. Holland says she went back in the house and Lindsay called 911 on the house phone.

Holland says she picked up another house phone to speak with 911, and Lindsay confronted her again and ripped the phone out of her hand, causing a severe sprain which caused Holland to go out on workers' comp.

Holland says she could smell alcohol on Lindsay's breath.

As for Lindsay's claim Holland touched her first, she says, "I did not touch the woman."

As TMZ first reported, Holland filed a police report and the cops are investigating Lindsay for criminal battery.

Lindsay Lohan is a suspect in a criminal battery investigation and the alleged victim -- a staff member at Betty Ford -- wants Lindsay prosecuted ... this according to law enforcement sources.

The Palm Desert Police Department is now investigating an altercation that occurred after Lindsay and her roommates reportedly went to a bar and came back home. Upon arriving at the house, the incident with a female staffer from Betty Ford allegedly went down.

The police received a call at 1:03 AM on December 12 for "hand-to-hand battery."

Cops came to Betty Ford after receiving the call and interviewed both the staffer and Lindsay. We're told the staffer "desired prosecution."

We're told when the police finish the investigation, the case will be forwarded to prosecutors for review.

Lindsay Lohan claims she did NOT strike first in a physical altercation with a female staff member at the Betty Ford Clinic ... but she did push back ... this according to sources close to LiLo.

Lindsay is telling people close to her ... the drama unfolded when she arrived to the BFC on December 12 roughly ten minutes after her curfew.

Lindsay claims when she walked into the BFC -- a female staff member was "unfairly" scolding her about the situation ... and demanded the actress take a drug/alcohol test. We're told it was during the heated exchange that the woman "put her hands on Lindsay."

Lindsay claims she told the woman, "Take your hands off of me" and then "pushed back."

As we previously reported, local police received a call at 1:03 AM for "hand-to-hand battery" -- and LiLo was named as a suspect. The staffer wants LiLo prosecuted for criminal battery.

We're told Lindsay feels the staffer has had it out for her for a while ... and with LiLo reaching the end of her stay at the clinic, the actress believes the staffer was looking for a final confrontation.

Lindsay Lohan could end up spending 6 months in jail over her recent physical altercation with a staffer at the Betty Ford Clinic ... TMZ has learned.

It all comes back to Lindsay's Beverly Hills DUI arrest in 2007 -- a crime for which she's still on probation -- and the probation doesn't terminate until August 2011.

One of the terms of the probation is "obey all laws" -- and if Judge Elden Fox decides LiLo committed a battery at the BFC, he could send her back to the slammer for 180 days.

As we previously reported, the BFC staffer wants Lindsay prosecuted for criminal battery.

The funny photos poured into the TMZ newsroom for our Santa Snapshot Contest -- so sit back and have a good laugh at these kids crying.

Be sure to check back on Monday to vote for which Santa snapshot will score the $250 prize and some super secret mystery gifts from TMZ!

**CLICK HERE for contest rules and regulations!**

Santa Claus has come early this year.

Here's Megan Fox, frolicking around the beach in Hawaii yesterday.

Yes, Virginia ...

Nicole Scherzinger doesn't hit a red carpet without a full face of makeup on -- but when she goes to the airport, it's an entirely different story.

The Pussycat Doll was spotted at LAX this morning without any beauty products on her famous mug -- completely different than the last time we saw her at the Jingle Bell Ball in London earlier this month.

Check out all the pics -- even with the fresh face, this Doll still looks great.

Karolyn Grimes is famous for playing Jimmy Stewart's youngest daughter ZuZu Bailey in the 1946 Frank Capra classic "It's a Wonderful Life." Guess what she looks like now!