Eight individuals have initiated a civil lawsuit against Clark County, claiming systemic sexual abuse at the County’s Juvenile Detention Facility spanning several decades. The complaint, filed in Clark County Superior Court, details allegations of rape, molestation, sexual exploitation, and retaliation by staff against children as young as 13 years old.
The lawsuit asserts that Clark County failed in its essential duty to safeguard the children entrusted to its care. According to the complaint, the County allowed a culture of abuse to develop due to chronic mismanagement, insufficient supervision, negligent hiring practices, and a failure to adequately investigate known misconduct.
The plaintiffs, referred to by their initials in the complaint, were detained at the Clark County Juvenile Justice Center between 1978 and 2014. They allege that staff members exploited their authority to isolate, groom, threaten, and abuse minors, often under the guise of discipline or routine procedures such as strip searches.
Scott Edwards, one of the attorneys representing the victims, emphasized that this case is not merely about individual perpetrators. “It is about an institutional failure that spanned generations,” he stated. “Children were entrusted to the County’s care, and instead of protection, they were subjected to sexual violence and intimidation.”
The complaint outlines a disturbing pattern of abuse extending nearly four decades, from the late 1970s through at least 2014. Plaintiffs allege that despite existing state and federal laws—including Washington’s Custodial Sexual Misconduct statute and the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)—Clark County did not implement or enforce meaningful safeguards to protect youth in custody.
Many of the plaintiffs reported their abuse at the time, only to be dismissed or ignored, with some facing retaliation. Allegations indicate that staff warned children that “no one would believe them” and that other employees were “in on it.”
Attorneys believe that the eight identified survivors are only a fraction of those affected. Sara Schirato, another attorney representing the victims, noted, “The pattern, duration, and similarity of these allegations strongly suggest there are many more victims.” She encouraged former detainees and even former staff who witnessed or experienced misconduct to come forward.
Reporting abuse was particularly challenging for juvenile detainees, many of whom served short stays and were isolated from family support. The complaint argues that there were no safe, independent reporting mechanisms for children in custody and that retaliation was commonplace.
The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages for physical, emotional, and psychological harm, citing long-term trauma and post-traumatic stress. They are also demanding that the Court require Clark County to adopt meaningful policies and oversight mechanisms to prevent future abuse.
“This lawsuit is about accountability,” Edwards affirmed. “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 attorneys are urging anyone who experienced or witnessed inappropriate conduct, sexual misconduct, or retaliation by staff at the Clark County Juvenile Justice Center to come forward. They also welcome former employees with knowledge of the facility’s practices during the relevant time periods to contact them.
“All it takes is one person speaking up to break decades of silence,” counsel emphasized. “If you were there and something didn’t feel right, whether it happened to you or you saw it happen to someone else, we want to hear from you.”
This case is ongoing in Clark County Superior Court, under the title D.K., D.J., E.P., H.E., J.W., J.C., S.B., Z.C. v. Clark County (Case # 26-2-00732-06).
