VIRGINIA YOUTH RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FACILITY SEXUAL ABUSE LAWSUITS

Fighting for Survivors of Sexual Abuse in Virginia Residential Treatment Facilities

Virginia’s youth residential treatment centers have faced several troubling incidents related to sexual abuse over the years. These centers, which are designed to provide care and rehabilitation for young people with behavioral or mental health issues, have been under scrutiny for various allegations of misconduct, including gross negligence and sexual abuse.

A growing number of former patients from Virginia youth residential treatment centers are coming forward, sharing their stories of sexual abuse by staff and accusing the facilities of neglecting their safety. Many are now filing civil lawsuits against these institutions for failing to protect them.

If you or a loved one has experienced sexual abuse at a Virginia youth residential treatment center, reach out to the experienced attorneys at Levy Konigsberg. We are here to help you get justice and compensation.

History of Sexual Abuse in Virginia Youth Residential Treatment Centers

Youth residential treatment centers in Virginia have a troubling history of abuse, with numerous reports and investigations exposing widespread mistreatment and systemic failures. Legal actions, criminal charges, and investigations by government agencies and youth advocates have repeatedly uncovered a culture of abuse. These findings point to a consistent lack of accountability, as authorities and private operators fail to properly investigate claims, hold perpetrators responsible, and safeguard 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, which operates several such facilities in Virginia. 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:

Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents

• In September 2024, a jury awarded $300 million to three women in their case against Cumberland Children’s Hospital, its parent company Universal Health Services, and former medical director Dr. Daniel Davidow. The plaintiffs proved that Dr. Davidow sexually abused them during medical exams while they were children at the hospital, and that Cumberland Children’s Hospital and its parent company were negligent in allowing the abuse to occur.

• In February 2022, Hershel Mickey Harden, a former psychotherapist at Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents, died by suicide on the day he was scheduled to plead guilty to a sex charge. The Office of the Attorney General had charged Harden with two counts of abuse, alleging that he engaged in inappropriate conduct beginning in 2018 with a former teenage patient.

Newport News Behavioral Health Center

• In February 2020, authorities launched an investigation into a reported sexual assault at the Newport News Behavioral Health Center. The alleged incident occurred on February 21-22 at the mental health facility, involving a 9-year-old patient who was reportedly assaulted by another juvenile patient. At the time of the report, no charges had been filed. The alleged victim’s mother brought the incident to light.

• In July 2018, an investigation into Newport News Behavioral Health Center began after 17-year-old Raven Keffer’s death. Raven had reported feeling unwell before her death, but staff allegedly ignored her pleas. The Virginia Department of Behavioral Health reportedly found the facility violated over a dozen care standards, including neglecting appropriate services and failing to document medical concerns. Raven’s sister, Haley, filed a $20 million lawsuit against the facility and its parent company, Universal Health Services.

Pines Residential Treatment Center

• In April 2011, North Carolina officials suspended new admissions and considered withdrawing over 100 youths from the Pines Residential Treatment Centers in Virginia due to the company’s alleged failure to report a sexual abuse claim. 

The Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services’ investigations of the Pines in Norfolk, revealed a failure to maintain adequate records of the incidents and notify the relevant authorities or the child’s parents.

Investigating Sexual Abuse at Virginia Residential Treatment Facilities

Levy Konigsberg is currently investigating allegations of sexual abuse by staff members against former and current youth residents at various residential treatment facilities in Virginia. The investigation includes facilities that have faced previous allegations or have a history of sexual abuse and related complaints, including those that are no longer operational.

The facilities include:

• Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents
• Newport News Behavioral Health Center
• The Hughes Center
• Poplar Springs Hospital
• Harbor Point Behavioral Health Center
• Pines Residential Treatment Center
• Kempsville Center for Behavioral Health

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

Virginia 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 who were born after July 1, 1993, have until age 38 to file civil lawsuits.

Levy Konigsberg is actively investigating allegations of sexual abuse at Virginia 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.