Image credit: Green Hill School (Chehalis, Washington). (2024, October 11). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Hill_School_(Chehalis,_Washington)
In two recent lawsuits, nearly 400 individuals have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse experienced as minors in Washington’s youth detention facilities, Lauren Girgis from The Seattle Times reported via Union-Bulletin.
The claims span decades, with some incidents dating back to 1956, and implicate over 20 facilities across the state, many of which are no longer operational. The combined 364 plaintiffs describe “the depth, extent, and depravity” of the abuse as indicative of “institutional failure” rather than isolated misconduct by a few individuals.
Washington has previously faced accusations of failing to protect children in its care from sexual abuse. The growing number of plaintiffs in these cases raises the potential for substantial settlements in the millions — a path the state has opted for in similar lawsuits to avoid trial. The attorney who filed the lawsuits shared that her firm has received numerous reports from individuals alleging abuse in juvenile detention centers.
One plaintiff in last Wednesday’s lawsuit, identified as Anthony R., described being abused in the mid-1980s as a young teenager at Maple Lane School. The Seattle Times withheld his full name in line with its policy on protecting the identities of sexual assault survivors.
Anthony recalled how his counselor groomed him in private sessions. When the abuse escalated, the counselor allegedly threatened him, telling him that if word ever got out on campus, he was going to make his life miserable. Anthony said the fear kept him silent.
Many plaintiffs reported turning to drugs, alcohol, and crime as a means of coping with the trauma. Anthony shared that, after leaving Maple Lane, he began using crack cocaine, saying that it made it difficult for him to trust and speak up for himself. He added that he knows his drug and alcohol use was an attempt to mask the pain, the guilt, and the shame.
Last Wednesday, 176 men and women filed a lawsuit claiming they were abused by detention center staff while incarcerated between the ages of 9 and 17. They join 188 others who filed a similar lawsuit in September, both cases contending that the state failed to protect detained children from sexual abuse.
The Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families, which now oversees juvenile detention, responded in a statement, saying it takes swift action to protect young people and provides resources encouraging the reporting of abuse, including informational posters and brochures.
Another plaintiff, identified as H.H. and now 57, recounted similar trauma. He said he was sexually assaulted twice by the same staff member at Echo Glen when he was 12 years old. When he reported the abuse, neither a counselor nor his mother believed him. “I bottled it up and pretended it didn’t happen,” he said. The assaults, which occurred while he was detained for attempting to steal a mini bike, became “a life sentence,” affecting him to this day.
Anthony, now 53, shared that he kept his experience secret until speaking with a lawyer. He described it as a “freeing” experience, saying, “I’ve gotten to a point in my life where anything that has had me in bondage needs to be broken.” Anthony has been sober for nearly seven years.
Washington has faced multiple sexual abuse allegations involving juvenile detention staff in recent years. In 2021, the state paid over $2 million to settle a case involving 10 plaintiffs from Green Hill School, and $805,000 to resolve claims from four former detainees at Naselle Youth Camp, who said they were abused by a counselor. Additionally, Washington has paid out $27 million over the last few years in cases alleging physical and sexual abuse within its foster care system.
Two staff members from Green Hill School, the state’s largest juvenile detention center, were also arrested for custodial sexual misconduct this year. According to recent lawsuits, much of the alleged abuse took place in secluded areas such as supply closets.
This month, a separate lawsuit in Thurston County Superior Court claimed that a staff member at Green Hill School repeatedly sexually assaulted a 17-year-old detainee. The former staff member, Michelle Goodman, was charged with first-degree sexual misconduct last month.
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