GEORGIA YOUTH RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FACILITY SEXUAL ABUSE LAWSUITS

Fighting for Survivors of Sexual Abuse in Georgia Residential Treatment Facilities

Youth residential treatment centers in Georgia are intended to provide critical mental and behavioral healthcare to vulnerable teens and children. However, numerous facilities are facing legal action due to allegations of gross negligence, abuse, and mistreatment. This raises concerns about the safety and well-being of the children in their care.

An increasing number of former patients at Georgia youth residential treatment centers are coming forward to share disturbing accounts of sexual abuse at the hands of staff members. They allege that facility operators neglected to provide adequate protection and oversight, allowing the abuse to occur.

If you or a loved one has suffered sexual abuse in any Georgia youth residential treatment center, contact our experienced sexual abuse attorneys at Levy Konigsberg for help. We can assist you in getting justice and compensation.

History of Sexual Abuse in Georgia Youth Residential Treatment Centers

Youth residential treatment centers in Georgia have a disturbing history of sexual and physical abuse, indicated by numerous reports and investigations revealing systemic failures and widespread mistreatment. Legal cases, criminal charges, and probes by government agencies and youth advocates have consistently exposed a culture of abuse, highlighting the failure of authorities and private operators to adequately investigate allegations, hold perpetrators accountable, and protect the vulnerable youth in their care. 

In June 2024, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee released a sweeping report detailing abuse at residential treatment facilities operated by major healthcare companies, including Universal Health Services and Acadia Healthcare, both of which operate or operated such facilities in Georgia. The report revealed systemic sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, unsafe conditions, inhumane confinement practices, and neglect throughout these facilities.

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

Riverwoods Behavioral Health

• In August 2025, a 22-year-old Georgia man filed a lawsuit alleging that he was raped by two male patients at Riverwoods during a weeklong stay when he was 15 or 16 years old.  He said he was too scared at the time to report the abuse, in part because there was a homophobic and hostile culture among Riverwoods staff.

Peachford Hospital

• In August 2025, two lawsuits were filed by former patients of Peachford Hospital alleging that they were sexually assaulted by staff and other patients at Peachford during short stays there several years ago when they were teenagers.  In the first lawsuit, a 20-year-old Georgia woman alleged she was sexually assaulted by a female employee when she was admitted to Peachford in 2022 when she was 17.  The plaintiff alleged the employee threatened to lengthen her stay at the facility if she reported the assault, which reportedly happened during a strip search.  The second complaint was filed by a different 22-year-old Georgia man who alleged he was sexually assaulted by a roommate and a male employee while at Peachford in 2018 when he was 16. The plaintiff alleged he was threatened into silence by the employee, who ordered him to take a shower then assaulted him while he showered.

Lighthouse Care Center of Augusta

• In May 2022, Anthanasio Morris, a 24-year-old night shift employee at Lighthouse Care Center in Augusta, was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old female patient in April 2019. According to the arrest warrant, Morris engaged in sexual activity with the minor in her room at the children’s mental health facility. He was charged with sexual assault by persons with supervisory or disciplinary authority.  Morris was the fourth staff member from the same facility to face similar charges, with three others already serving prison time for sex crimes committed in 2017.

• In June 2019, Jacey Haskell, a former mental health technician at Lighthouse Care Center in Augusta, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 16-year-old patient and was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by 8 years of probation. The incident occurred on February 7, 2017, while Haskell was responsible for supervising four female patients, including the victim, who was in state custody due to a troubled past. Surveillance footage captured the assault, contradicting Haskell’s claim to the victim that the camera was off. Upon release, Haskell will be required to register as a sex offender.

• In July 2018, Lighthouse Care Center of Augusta and its parent company, Universal Health Services, faced a lawsuit over the 2017 sexual assault of a 14-year-old patient who was being treated for depression and suicidal tendencies. Despite warnings from the girl’s mother about her sexualized behaviors, Admissions Coordinator Timothy Carroll allegedly assaulted the girl in a conference room, made sexually aggressive comments, and showed her explicit photos. After the girl reported the incident, Carroll was still allowed one-on-one time with her and allegedly assaulted her again. He faced charges including child molestation, sexual battery, and sexual assault. The lawsuit alleged that Lighthouse Care Center was negligent in allowing him continued access to the victim.

Lakeview Behavioral Health

• In December 2019, law enforcement reportedly carried out search warrants at two Lakeview Behavioral Health locations. The raid allegedly led to numerous victims coming forward with claims of physical and sexual abuse, negligence, theft, and other forms of mistreatment dating back to 2017. Police were reportedly already investigating around 70 complaints against the facility in September.

Laurel Heights Hospital

• In July 2017, a lawsuit was filed alleging employee negligence at Laurel Heights Hospital, a psychiatric and behavioral health facility for children. The suit, brought by the mother of a 12-year-old patient, claims that her child was sexually assaulted by a 14-year-old male patient due to inadequate supervision. The alleged victim reportedly tried to inform a staff member but was told to return to bed. The lawsuit also states that a security camera captured the assault, but hospital staff failed to monitor the footage or review the recordings until several days after the incident.

The complaint further alleges that Laurel Heights Hospital has experienced a pattern of serious incidents over the past five years, including 11 additional cases involving alleged child molestation, physical abuse, and patient escapes.

Anchor Hospital

• In September 2017, Anchor Hospital faced a negligence lawsuit after a 16-year-old female patient, who was receiving treatment for a prior sexual assault, was allegedly raped by an 18-year-old male patient in a bathroom. The lawsuit claimed the hospital failed to provide sufficient security and supervision, worsening a history of inadequate staffing and federal citations for violations. The alleged perpetrator was arrested and charged with felony rape.

Ridgeview Institute

• In October 2022, a report revealed that a therapist at Ridgeview was arrested for allegedly coercing a 17-year-old patient into a sexual relationship in 2021. The facility was also cited for failing to investigate a staff member’s physical abuse of a patient in 2022.

KidsPeace

• In October 2023, staff member Tevin Opoku was charged with sexual battery and sexual assault involving a resident.  

• In May 2018, a report highlighted several instances of youth escaping or running away from the facility.

Investigating Sexual Abuse at Georgia Residential Treatment Facilities

Levy Konigsberg is currently investigating reports of sexual abuse by staff against past and present youth inmates at Georgia youth residential treatment facilities. The investigation includes facilities with a history of or allegations involving sexual abuse and related complaints, regardless of whether they are still operational or have closed. 

The facilities include:

• Lighthouse Care Center of Augusta
• Lakeview Behavioral Health Hospital
• Laurel Heights Hospital
• Coastal Harbor Treatment Center
• SummitRidge Hospital
• Peachford Hospital
• Anchor Hospital
• Saint Simons-by-the-Sea
• Riverwoods Behavioral Health System
• Greenleaf Behavioral Health Hospital
• Ridgeview Institute
• KidsPeace

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

Georgia Sexual Abuse Attorneys

The statute of limitations is a law that limits the amount of time you have to start a legal case after something wrong or illegal has happened. Under current law, survivors of childhood sexual abuse in Georgia have until age 23 to file civil lawsuits.

Levy Konigsberg is actively investigating allegations of sexual abuse at Georgia youth residential treatment facilities.

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.