SEATTLE – September 5, 2024 – Bergman Oslund Udo Little, (BOUL), a Pacific Northwest law firm with a focus on catastrophic injury cases, has filed a lawsuit against the State of Washington and several of its agencies, including the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), and the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration. The lawsuit, representing 188 plaintiffs, alleges widespread and systemic sexual and physical abuse of minors within state-operated juvenile detention facilities, dating back to the 1960s and continuing through the 2020s.
The complaint details a harrowing pattern of sexual abuse perpetrated by staff members—including guards, counselors, teachers, and medical professionals—as well as instances where staff allowed other inmates to assault the plaintiffs. The abuse occurred across numerous facilities, including Echo Glen Children’s Center, Green Hill School, Naselle Youth Camp, Maple Lane School, and several others. The plaintiffs, who were as young as 8 years old at the time of their abuse, were placed in these facilities as wards of the state and were supposed to be under the state’s protection.
The lawsuit highlights the failure of the State of Washington to safeguard these children from abuse, alleging that state agencies were aware of the ongoing abuse but failed to take action to protect the victims. Instead, the lawsuit claims that these agencies perpetuated a culture of fear, violence, and cover-ups, prioritizing the protection of the state from liability over the safety and well-being of the children in their care.
“The scale and duration of the abuse detailed in this complaint are heartbreaking,” said Vanessa Firnhaber Oslund, BOUL attorney representing the plaintiffs. “The State of Washington had a legal and moral duty to protect these vulnerable children. Instead, these kids were subjected to depraved sexual abuse at the hands of those who were supposed to care for them and rehabilitate them.”
The lawsuit also underscores the long-lasting impact of the abuse on the plaintiffs, who have suffered significant physical, emotional, and psychological trauma as a result. Despite decades of documented abuse and numerous reports filed against the state, the culture of sexual abuse within Washington’s juvenile detention facilities has persisted, with the number of claims doubling in the last decade.
This case seeks justice for the 188 plaintiffs and aims to hold the State of Washington accountable for its gross negligence in allowing a culture of abuse to flourish within its juvenile detention system.
In The News
King 5 Seattle – Washington sued amid allegations of sex abuse of minors by staffers in juvenile centers
The Columbian – Nearly 200 people sue Washington, alleging sex abuse in juvenile detention
Fox News 28 – Survivors of abuse at Washington state juvenile facilities seek justice
About BOUL
The Seattle-based law firm of Bergman Oslund Udo Little (BOUL) has stood for justice for ordinary people. Largely serving clients who live or have worked in Washington and Oregon, BOUL is active in courts throughout this region, recovering millions of dollars for its clients. Recently, BOUL has secured jury verdicts of $13 million for a Kent, WA woman for medical malpractice involving cosmetic surgery; $30 million for an Oregon man diagnosed with cancer caused by asbestos; $11.2 million for a mesothelioma victim in Tacoma, Washington; $10 million for “take home” shipyard asbestos exposure in Seattle, Washington.
