WERE YOU SEXUALLY ABUSED IN A UTAH YOUTH RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER?
You May Be Entitled To Substantial Compensation
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UTAH YOUTH RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER SEXUAL ABUSE LAWSUITS
Fighting For Survivors Sexually Abused at Utah Youth Residential Treatment Centers
It’s heartbreaking to know that many youth treatment centers in Utah care more about profits than truly helping troubled youths. Troubled teens deserve compassion, guidance, and genuine care—not to be treated as numbers on a balance sheet.
If you or a loved one has been harmed at a Utah youth residential treatment center, Levy Konigsberg is here to help. We are committed to standing up for youths and their families, fighting for accountability and justice every step of the way.
Were you sexually abused?
History of Sexual Abuse at Utah Youth Residential Treatment Centers
Utah’s youth treatment facilities have faced growing scrutiny as numerous allegations of abuse and misconduct arise, revealing deep-seated issues within these institutions.
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, which operate such facilities in Utah. The report revealed systemic sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, unsafe conditions, inhumane confinement practices, and neglect throughout these facilities.
Examples of abuse, and of conditions likely to lead to abuse, include the following:
Highland Ridge Hospital
- In April 2024, Acadia Healthcare confirmed that Highland Ridge Hospital would close on May 2024, following allegations of sexual abuse, understaffing, use of chemical restraints on patients, and patients being discharged without medications.
In March 2024, it was reported that staff allegedly did not ensure a safe and secure living environment for two residents.
- In September 2023, it was reported that patients had been allegedly sexually assaulted for years, and employees were allegedly told not to call 911. Some investigators referred to the hospital as “The Rape Hospital” because of the frequent assaults on patients and the alleged failure of staff to report these incidents to the police.
- In February 2022, the Utah Attorney General’s Office confirmed it was investigating Highland Ridge Hospital, which had been cited 44 times for over 100 issues since 2019 but had never been shut down.
Between January and July 2020, inspectors found 114 physical confrontations and 80 incidents of boundary violations or sexual misconduct at the facility.
Other allegations included a lack of supervision, improper medication administration, discharging patients before completing therapy, untrained staff, poor facility maintenance, failure to report abuse, patients assaulting each other, a patient attempting suicide with no staff intervention, switching medications, overmedicating patients, neglecting basic care, and staff misconduct.
Benchmark Behavioral Health
- In March 2024, it was reported that the Woods Cross Police Department had responded to Benchmark Behavioral Health hundreds of times since 2019.
In total, investigators reviewed reports of 61 assault cases and 35 alleged sexual assault cases, with one additional sexual assault report withheld due to an active investigation.
In 2022, the Utah Department of Health raised similar concerns and temporarily revoked Benchmark’s license after a sexual assault was allegedly never reported to police.
- In 2016, Brenda Elkface, former Benchmark Behavioral Health was charged with allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old boy at the facility.
- In June 2004, it was reported that police were searching for former Benchmark counselor Jerome Moody, who allegedly sexually assaulted two teens between September 2003 and February 2004.
Copper Hills Youth Center
- In August 2019, Copper Hills Youth Center was sued for allegedly failing to properly supervise residents, leading to the sexual assault of a 16-year-old boy by multiple youth at the facility.
- In October 2017, Mart Clough, former youth counselor at Copper Hills Youth Center, was charged with multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and enticing a minor over the internet for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old girl he met at the facility.
Clough allegedly exchanged sexual messages, photos, and videos with the victim through text messages and social media platforms.
- In March 2005, a former mental health associate was charged with forcible sodomy and multiple counts of forcible sexual abuse due to the alleged sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old girl from October 2004 to January 2005.
Provo Canyon School
- In February 2025, reports emerged that Utah licensers planned to closely monitor Provo Canyon School after an incident was caught on video.
Video footage allegedly showed a staff member striking a teenager who was being physically restrained.
This marked the seventh time in two years that Utah’s Office of Licensing found the teen treatment program failed to protect its youth from harm.
In November 2024, a staff member allegedly restrained a youth without justification.
In September 2024, a staff member allegedly acted in a way that caused harm to clients.
In the 1990s, Paris Hilton allegedly suffered abuse, overmedication, and sexual assault during unnecessary pelvic exams at the facility.
New Haven Residential Treatment Center
- In January 2018, Jason Scott Calder, former New Haven Residential Treatment Center therapist, was sentenced for allegedly raping a 16-year-old patient multiple times between March and June 2017.
The alleged abuse happened during therapy sessions and walks outside the facility.
Salt Lake Behavioral Health
- In December 2016, an investigation alleged that Salt Lake Behavioral Health had systematically prioritized profit over ethical care and patient safety.
Staff were allegedly pressured to admit insured patients by exaggerating symptoms, even if they didn’t meet clinical criteria.
Intake workers were allegedly trained to manipulate answers about suicidal thoughts to admit more patients.
Staff were allegedly encouraged to keep patients as long as insurance allowed and were allegedly told to us threats to keep patients in line, including calling child protective services to manipulate patients to stay.
Red Rock Canyon School
- In May 2025, a lawsuit was filed against Red Rock Canyon School in St. George, which closed in September 2019, alleging the facility allowed an employee, Antonio Kavea, to sexually abuse a minor student there. The lawsuit alleges that the victim arrived at the school in early 2017, and met Atonio Kavea and his sister, Asiah Kavea, who were both staff members at Red Rock Canyon School. The lawsuit further alleges that the abuser’s sister, Asiah, along with other staff members, knew that Antonio Kavea was sexually abusing the plaintiff but allowed it to continue and that in addition to being sexually abused, the plaintiff was drugged and physically abused there. According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff became pregnant with her abuser, Antonio Kavea’s, child. Antonio Kavea reportedly impregnated another victim as well. Antonio Kavea was convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child in California and has been placed on the sex offender registry.
- In June 2019, it was reported that St. George police were frequently contacted to investigate violence at the facility, often involving staffers assaulting the youths, and that in the 2.5 years prior to the report, nine employees had been charged with child abuse for choking, pushing or punching kids in the face.
- In April 2019, a riot erupted at the facility and a SWAT team arrived there with guns drawn.
Investigating Sexual Abuse at Utah Residential Treatment Facilities
Levy Konigsberg is currently investigating reports of sexual abuse by staff against past and present youth inmates at Utah youth residential treatment facilities.The investigation includes facilities and operators 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:
- Highland Ridge Hospital
- Benchmark Behavioral Health
- Copper Hills Youth Center
- Provo Canyon School
- Salt Lake Behavioral Health
- New Haven Residential Treatment Center
- Aspen Grove Behavioral Health
- Center for Change
- Red Rock Canyon School
We specialize in sexual abuse lawsuits against powerful institutions. These include government entities (such as prisons, schools, and juvenile detention / juvenile treatment centers), technology companies, and clergy.
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Who Can You Sue in a Sex Abuse Civil Case?
In a sex abuse civil case, the parties you might sue can vary depending on the circumstances of the abuse and the relationships involved.
Some potential parties that could be sued in a sex abuse civil case include:
- Individual Perpetrator: The alleged perpetrator of the sexual abuse can be named as a defendant in the lawsuit. This is often the person who directly committed the abusive acts.
- Institutions and Organizations: If the abuse occurred within an institution or organization, such as a school, church, sports club, or workplace, and they failed to take appropriate action to prevent or address the abuse, they might also be held liable.
- Employers: If the perpetrator was an employee of an organization or institution, the employer might be held vicariously liable for the actions of their employee if the abuse occurred within the scope of their employment.
- Property Owners: If the abuse occurred on a property owned by someone else, and the property owner failed to provide adequate security or take reasonable steps to prevent the abuse, they might be considered liable.
- Government Entities: In some cases, government entities might be involved, especially if the abuse occurred within a state institution or facility. Suing a government entity might involve specific procedures and limitations.
Sex abuse cases can be legally complex, so it's highly advisable to consult with experienced legal professionals who specialize in this area to understand your options and pursue the appropriate legal action. Levy Konigsberg, along with our team of sexual abuse lawyers, is available to provide assistance for your sexual abuse case.
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
Utah 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 Utah law, survivors of childhood sexual abuse typically have until age 22 to file lawsuits against an organization that is responsible for allowing their abuse to occur.
This limitation highlights the urgency for survivors and families to act promptly in seeking justice.
Levy Konigsberg is actively investigating allegations of sexual abuse at any Utah youth residential treatment center.
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.
Trust Levy Konigsberg's Legal Team for Proven Results in Sexual Abuse and Negligence Cases
Levy Konigsberg LLP, a nationally recognized law firm, has built a legacy over three decades, recovering over $3 billion in sexual abuse compensation for clients. Led by award-winning sexual abuse lawyers, we specialize in representing survivors in sexual abuse across the country, taking on powerful institutions. Our top-rated trial practice handles all types of sexual abuse or negligence cases, showcasing numerous testimonials and successful case results.