Eight victims have filed a civil lawsuit against Clark County, alleging systemic sexual abuse occurring over several decades at the County’s juvenile detention facility. The complaint, submitted to Clark County Superior Court, outlines numerous instances of rape, molestation, and sexual exploitation involving children as young as 13, perpetrated by detention staff.
The lawsuit accuses Clark County of failing to fulfill its basic responsibility to protect vulnerable youth in its care. Instead, it claims a culture of abuse was allowed to persist, facilitated by chronic mismanagement, insufficient supervision, and negligent hiring practices. The complaint alleges that rather than addressing known misconduct, the County turned a blind eye, enabling the abuse to continue unchecked.
The plaintiffs, identified only by their initials, were detained at the Clark County Juvenile Justice Center between 1978 and 2014. They contend that staff members exploited their authority, using tactics such as isolation and intimidation to groom and abuse children under the pretense of discipline and routine procedures, including strip searches.
“This case is not about a single bad actor,” said Scott Edwards, one of the attorneys representing the victims. “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 allegations in the lawsuit detail a pattern of abuse that persisted for nearly four decades. Many plaintiffs reported their experiences at the time, only to be dismissed or ignored. In some instances, staff allegedly warned the children that “no one would believe them” and that other employees were “in on it.”
Despite existing state and federal laws, including Washington’s Custodial Sexual Misconduct statute and the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), the lawsuit asserts that Clark County failed to implement adequate safeguards to protect youth in custody.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs believe the eight individuals named in the lawsuit represent only a small fraction of those who have suffered abuse. “The pattern, duration, and similarity of these allegations strongly suggest there are many more victims,” said Sara Schirato, another attorney for the plaintiffs. “We believe there are former detainees, and possibly even former staff, who witnessed misconduct or were themselves abused and have not yet come forward.”
The lawsuit highlights the unique challenges faced by juvenile detainees, who often served short stays and lacked family support, making it difficult to report incidents of abuse. The complaint asserts that there were no established, independent reporting mechanisms for children and that retaliation was commonplace.
The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages for the physical, emotional, and psychological harm they endured, including long-term trauma and post-traumatic stress. They are also requesting that the court compel Clark County to implement meaningful policies and oversight mechanisms to prevent future abuse.
“This lawsuit is about accountability,” Edwards stated. “It is also about giving voice to victims who were silenced as children and for much of their adult lives but who have found the courage to speak up.”
Attorneys encourage anyone who has been detained at the Clark County Juvenile Justice Center and experienced or witnessed inappropriate conduct, including sexual misconduct or retaliation by staff, to come forward. They also invite former employees with knowledge of the facility’s practices during the relevant time periods to reach out to counsel.
“All it takes is one person speaking up to break decades of silence,” the attorneys 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.”
The case is currently pending 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.
