BACKBONE MOUNTAIN YOUTH CENTER SEXUAL ABUSE LAWSUITS

Representing Survivors Abused at BMYC in Swanton, MD

If you were sexually abused while housed at the Backbone Mountain Youth Center in Swanton, Maryland, you may have grounds to pursue legal action and a financial recovery of your damages.

Backbone Mountain has been identified by the U.S. Department of Justice as having the highest rate of sexual abuse among any juvenile detention facility in the nation. The DOJ report has already prompted scrutiny of the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services and, thanks to a newly passed Maryland law that gives survivors of child sexual abuse an unlimited amount of time to file lawsuits, is emboldening former inmates to step forward with their claims.

Now, Levy Konigsberg is helping a growing number of Backbone Mountain Youth Center sexual abuse survivors explore their options for taking legal action against the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. If you have a potential case, we want to help.

About Backbone Mountain Youth Center

Backbone Mountain Youth Center (BMYC) is a secure treatment facility located in Swanton, Maryland. Initially opened in 1966 as the Backbone Mountain Forestry Camp for Boys, the facility has operated under its current name (BMYC) since 1977.

Operated by the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, Backbone Mountain houses up to 48 male inmates between the ages of 14 to 18 who have been ordered by the courts to participate in treatment programs that typically last for six to nine months. In addition to treatment services, youth housed at Backbone Mountain attend school in the facility year-round.

While Backbone Mountain Youth Center has been in operation since the 1960s, it has faced complaints and scrutiny over rampant sexual abuse that dates back decades.

DOJ Report Identifies Backbone Mountain as Nation’s Worst Juvenile Detention Center for Sexual Victimization

In 2010, federal investigators from the Department of Justice conducted a sweeping study into the scope of sexual abuse in U.S. youth detention facilities.

As part of the study, investigators collected information from roughly 200 juvenile detention centers across the country and reviewed surveys completed by thousands of incarcerated youth offenders. Specifically, the study focused on reported incidents of sexual victimization, which it classified as any sexual activity between youth inmates and staff and forced sexual activity with another youth.

The DOJ report revealed that Backbone Mountain Youth Center was the worst in the nation when it came to sexual abuse in juvenile detention facilities.

Here are some key findings from the report.

• Backbone Mountain Youth Center was identified by DOJ investigators as having the highest rate of sexual abuse among any surveyed juvenile detention facility in the nation.
• According to the DOJ report, 36.4% of youth inmates housed at Backbone Mountain reported that they were sexually victimized in custody.
• The 36.4% sexual abuse rate reported by youth housed at Backbone Mountain was three times the national average of 12%.

The DOJ’s shocking findings are an indication that the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services has woefully failed to protect youth inmates housed at Backbone Mountain from sexual abuse – including abuse committed by counselors and facility staff members.

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

Maryland Sexual Abuse Attorneys

Maryland has been a frontrunner in passing legislation that greatly expands the rights of sexual abuse survivors – and especially survivors of child sexual abuse.

Thanks to the Child Victims Act, which was signed into law in April 2023 by Governor Wes Moore, survivors who were sexually abused as minors in Maryland now have unprecedented opportunities to pursue justice against their abusers and any institutions that failed to protect them.

Here are some key details about Child Victims Act of 2023:

• The CVA eliminates the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits based on child sexual abuse, which means that there is no deadline by which survivors must initiate legal action.
• The CVA creates an unlimited lookback period that allows child sexual abuse survivors to file lawsuits over abuse that occurred at any time in the past, even if such claims were barred by the previous statute of limitations.

The Child Victims Act went into effect on October 1, 2023, and prison and juvenile detention systems with long histories of child sexual abuse are seeing a growing number claims brought by survivors abused years and decades ago.

While Maryland has significantly revised state laws regarding the statute of limitations for civil suits brought by child sexual abuse laws, it has not done so for claims brought by adult survivors.

Under Maryland state law, if the victim was an adult at the time of the abuse, the statute of limitations for filing a civil lawsuit is 3 years from the date of the abuse – no matter if the claim if brought against the alleged abuse or an institution.

Given the 3-year statute of limitations for adult sexual abuse lawsuits, it is advised that survivors with potential claims seek legal counsel as soon as possible.

Levy Konigsberg is actively investigating allegations of sexual abuse at Maryland juvenile detention 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.