Second Lawsuit Filed Against Washington State Juvenile Detention Facilities for Widespread Sexual Abuse and Neglect

SEATTLE – October 31, 2024 – Bergman Oslund Udo Little, (BOUL), a Pacific Northwest law firm with a focus on catastrophic injury cases, has filed a second lawsuit against numerous juvenile detention centers operated by the State of Washington for severe and widespread sexual abuse of minors while in the State’s custody in detention centers across the state. The 176 plaintiffs allege systemic failures by the State and its agencies to protect them from sexual and physical abuse and to adequately supervise the employees charged with their care.  The sexual abuse endured by the Plaintiffs in this lawsuit date back to the 1950s and extends through the 2020s. The previous lawsuit filed in September 2024 included 188 plaintiffs.

The allegations in the complaint describe a culture of abuse and egregious acts by numerous staff members, including guards, counselors, medical staff, and other facility employees across state facilities, including Maple Lane School, Echo Glen Children’s Center, Green Hill School, and Naselle Youth Camp, among others. 

Plaintiffs recount disturbing incidents involving staff members who exploited their positions of authority and trust to engage in sexual misconduct with minors entrusted to their care. These survivors, who are now adults, have courageously shared their experiences, which include rapes, molestation, voyeurism, blackmail and bribery. The complaint highlights that the State of Washington tolerated the behavior, protected abusers, and failed to act on reports of misconduct.

“Our communities trusted the State to safely detain and rehabilitate these kids.  Instead, the State fostered a depraved sexualized environment in its juvenile facilities, which allowed sexual abuse against minors to fester and thrive.  This is the opposite of rehabilitation.  This negligence caused permanent trauma, which my clients are reckoning with today,” said Vanessa Oslund, BOUL attorney representing the Plaintiffs.  

“The fact that the sexual abuse occurred at virtually every juvenile detention in the State, to hundreds of children, and was perpetrated by dozens of different perpetrators demonstrates that these were not isolated incidents.  Rather they are indicative of widespread negligence by the State of Washington in its failure to screen, train, and supervise its employees.” 

According to the complaint, minors in these facilities were often isolated, manipulated, and threatened with retaliation to silence them from reporting abuse. Specific allegations include staff members exchanging contraband and special privileges in return for sexual acts, as well as cases where victims faced physical violence for noncompliance.  The allegations include many instances where victims were ignored or retaliated against when they reported sexual abuse.  

The plaintiffs seek accountability and justice for the trauma endured and to prompt systemic changes that will protect children in Washington State’s juvenile justice system. This case sheds light on a pervasive culture of abuse that, according to plaintiffs, remained largely unchecked for years.