Suit: Clark County failed to protect children in its custody

A Vancouver law firm has filed a lawsuit on behalf of eight juveniles against Clark County, alleging staff at the county’s juvenile detention facility sexually abused detainees over a span of decades.

Schauermann Thayer filed the complaint Wednesday in Clark County Superior Court, alleging the abuse was widespread and involved children as young as 13 held at the Clark County Juvenile Justice Center between 1978 and 2014.

County spokesperson Joni McAnally said the county does not comment on pending litigation.

The complaint alleges staff used their authority to isolate, groom and threaten children under the guise of routine procedures and discipline. It accuses the county of failing to protect children in its custody, instead allowing a “culture of abuse to flourish” through chronic mismanagement, negligent hiring and retention, and failure to stop known misconduct.

Attorneys for the eight plaintiffs say they believe there are more victims.

“This case is not about a single bad actor,” Scott Edwards, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, said in a news release. “It is about an institutional failure that spanned generations. Children were entrusted to the county’s care and instead of protection, they were subjected to sexual violence and intimidation.”

The lawsuit details allegations that staff conducted invasive and unlawful strip searches, isolated children in unsupervised “blind spots” like supply closets, used threats of extended detention or physical harm to silence children, and provided special privileges or food to groom children.

Several plaintiffs reported abuse at the time, according to the complaint, which alleges staff dismissed or ignored their reports, or retaliated against them.

The complaint contends Clark County failed to implement or enforce meaningful safeguards to protect youth in custody, despite state and federal laws like Washington’s Custodial Sexual Misconduct statute and the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act.

The suit seeks unspecified damages for physical, emotional and psychological harm. It also asks the court to require Clark County to implement new policies and oversight mechanisms to prevent future abuse.

“This lawsuit is about accountability,” Edwards said. “It is also about giving voice to victims who were silenced as children and for much of their adult lives but who have found courage to speak up.”

The plaintiffs’ attorneys encourage anyone who was detained at the juvenile justice center and experienced or witnessed inappropriate conduct by staff, as well as former employees with knowledge of the facility’s practices, to contact them.