A man is suing a Northern Nevada juvenile rehabilitation facility, alleging that he was sexually assaulted by staff there when he was 15.
The lawsuit was filed Friday on behalf of the man, identified only as “D.W.” In the complaint, attorneys with Panish Law said that in 2006 D.W. was a resident at Silver State Academy, a private juvenile facility in Yerington.
He lived at the facility, which was operated by the nonprofit Rite of Passage, for a year. Rite of Passage is also a named defendant in the suit.
Rite of Passage did not respond to requests for comment. Representatives from Silver State could not be reached.
Silver State Academy has permanently closed, according to Google Maps.
Group leaders ‘acted with malice and oppression’
Riots at Silver State left two buildings burned and two employees injured in March 2015.
A week later, Nevada officials announced the closure of Red Rock Academy, the state’s only maximum-security juvenile correctional facility, which was also run by Rite of Passage.
The state terminated its operating agreement with Rite of Passage, which had allegedly fallen short of the facility’s security and supervision compliance standards.
In the recently filed lawsuit against Silver State, lawyers said that when D.W. was at the facility, he had been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and epilepsy, and staff were aware of these diagnoses.
“While housed at Silver State, Plaintiff was under the custody and care of Defendants,” the complaint stated. “Defendants Rite of Passage and Silver State … accepted responsibility for his care and custody. Defendants Rite of Passage and Silver State owed Plaintiff a duty of protection from harm.”
However, the lawsuit said, two group leaders with the last names West and Mitchell regularly restrained and physically assaulted the then-15-year-old.
“West and Mitchell acted with additional malice and oppression against Plaintiff by frequently pushing him harder during physical training despite Plaintiff telling them he was epileptic,” the lawsuit stated. “Plaintiff understood this treatment was intended to silence him from reporting abusive conditions at Defendants’ facilities.”
On at least one occasion, the group leaders also pulled the teen’s pants down, fondled him, and attempted to penetrate him.
Lawyers also said that the acts constituted sexual abuse, which other staff members were aware of and never reported to authorities.
Suit says defendants covered up abuse for profits
The teen later reported the sexual assault to his case manager and was transferred to a different barrack but still forced to interact with his abusers, according to the lawsuit.
Other children were also abused at the facility, lawyers said in the complaint.
West and Mitchell were not disciplined, suspended or terminated while D.W. was in custody, the lawsuit stated.
“Rite of Passage and Silver State received multiple notices of sexual abuse of children in their care by their employees,” the lawsuit said. “Defendants Rite of Passage and Silver State did not report the sexual abuse to Plaintiff’s guardians and/or the relevant authorities.”
The lawsuit alleged that Silver State and Rite of Passage covered up the abuse so that they would continue to make money housing the children.
Panish Law attorneys are suing over negligence related to hiring, training, supervision, and retention of staff, along with claims of abuse and battery, among other allegations.
Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.
