ABRAXAS YOUTH CENTER SEXUAL ABUSE LAWSUITS

Fighting for Survivors Abused at Abraxas Juvenile Center in Pennsylvania

Levy Konigsberg is investigating claims that children were allegedly sexually and physically abused at Abraxas Youth & Family Services facilities in Pennsylvania.

Operating as a network of treatment and rehabilitation centers for at-risk male youth and juvenile offenders aged 12 to 18, these facilities are now the subject of intense legal scrutiny. Recent court filings and criminal charges highlight a history of negligence at locations such as the Abraxas Juvenile Center in Howe Township. Reports detail harrowing accounts of grooming, rape, and the use of contraband to coerce sexual favors from minors. These lawsuits contend that the facility operators prioritized financial gain over resident safety by failing to implement rigorous hiring practices, adequate supervision, or transparent internal investigations into misconduct. By bringing these claims forward, survivors seek to hold these private and public entities accountable for the breach of their duty of care.

If you or a loved one was harmed, contact us today.

History of Sexual Abuse at Abraxas Youth Center in Pennsylvania

High-profile court filings, criminal charges, and investigations have all highlighted the troubling history of abuse at Abraxas facilities. The information obtained during these numerous investigations revealed that these facilities were severely negligent in permitting frequent sexual and physical abuse of inmates to persist for many years.

As lawsuits are filed, it becomes evident that these abuses were signs of a systemic collapse rather than isolated occurrences. According to reports, Abraxas fostered a climate conducive to abuse. Their lax oversight and inadequate response to reporting have created an atmosphere in which perpetrators of abuse feel free to act without fear of punishment, knowing their crimes might remain secret. 

Examples of alleged abuse, and of conditions likely to lead to abuse, include the following:

• In July 2024, reports surfaced detailing three lawsuits filed on behalf of 92 individuals who allegedly suffered sexual and physical abuse as children at Abraxas Youth & Family Services, Summit Academy, and George Junior Republic in Pennsylvania, dating back to 2000.

Staff allegedly subjected children to grooming, strip searches, and rape. They allegedly had sexual relationships with youths, and used contraband and special privileges in exchange for sexual favors. 

The lawsuits alleged that the facilities prioritized profits over safety by failing to properly hire and supervise employees or investigate reports of abuse and misconduct.

• In April 2023, Elizabeth Ann Bohler, a former staff at Abraxas Juvenile Center in Howe Township, Pennsylvania, was charged with various sex offenses after engaging in a sexual relationship with a minor detained in the facility. According to the criminal complaint, the relationship began in late 2022 and lasted several months. It included sexual contact in a closet inside the facility, explicit letters and text messages, and Bohler giving contraband to the juvenile.

• In March 2022, former inmates filed a class action lawsuit against The GEO Group, a private prison operator, and other defendants. They allege they faced physical, mental, and sexual abuse while in custody at the Abraxas Youth and Family Services Center. 

Do I Have a Case?

You may have grounds to file a civil legal action if:

• You were sexually abused by a guard, counselor, nurse, or other youth residential treatment or juvenile detention center staff member.
• The abuse occurred at any youth residential treatment or juvenile detention facility.

Levy Konigsberg represents survivors in civil lawsuits that aim to hold youth residential treatment facilities,  juvenile detention centers, private healthcare companies, and other facility operators accountable for their failures to stop abusive staff members and protect young residents.

As civil claims, these cases are separate from any criminal proceedings that may arise from abuse and focus instead on holding institutions liable for damages. This means you may still have a claim even if:

• Your abuser is no longer alive.
• Your abuser was never charged with or convicted of a crime.

Recoverable Damages in Sexual Abuse Claims

In addition to providing accountability and a sense of justice, civil sex abuse lawsuits allow survivors to recover financial compensation for their damages, which may include:

• Past medical and mental health expenses
• Future mental health expenses, including therapy, medications, etc.
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional anguish and psychological harm
• Lost income
• Other economic and non-economic damages

Pennsylvania Sexual Abuse  Attorneys

In Pennsylvania, the current statute of limitations for civil sex abuse claims is the age of adulthood plus 37 years, which means that survivors sexually abused as minors typically have until the age of 55 to file legal action, as long as they were born after November 26, 1989.

As in other states across the country, Pennsylvania’s current statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse claims has been criticized for barring numerous survivors from seeking justice and compensation for their damages and for failing to recognize accepted research about the considerable difficulties survivors face when processing their abuse and taking steps to come forward. Thanks to new efforts by advocates and lawmakers, however, there are now several pending measures before the Pennsylvania Legislature that seek to expand the rights of child sex abuse survivors.

These groundbreaking measures, which are expected to pass, will create new opportunities for survivors to step forward and obtain long-overdue justice. If passed, these measures would create a temporary two-year window for child sexual abuse survivors to file claims over abuse that occurred at any time in the past.

Levy Konigsberg is actively investigating allegations of sexual abuse at any Pennsylvania juvenile detention and youth residential treatment centers.

We are committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society and seeking justice for survivors of sexual abuse in juvenile detention centers and youth residential treatment facilities. Our experienced team is dedicated to providing legal representation and support to survivors, and we are actively investigating allegations of abuse. We are working tirelessly to ensure that survivors have access to justice and that future generations of young people are safe from harm within these institutions.