WORDSWORTH ACADEMY SEXUAL ABUSE LAWSUITS 

Fighting for Survivors Sexually Abused at Wordsworth Academy in Pennsylvania

Wordsworth Academy’s legacy of abuse serves as a stark reminder to never turn a blind eye to the victims’ suffering. According to reports, police were called over to the facility 800 times in a decade for incidents ranging from minor issues to serious crimes like rape and child endangerment. Reports included 12 rapes, indecent exposure, and child endangerment.

For the survivors, the fight is far from over. If you or a loved one was harmed at Wordsworth, contact Levy Konigsberg today. 

History of Sexual Abuse at Wordsworth Academy in Pennsylvania

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

• In April 2017, investigations revealed a long history of serious abuse allegations at Wordsworth Academy. 

For example, police records showed that, over 10 years, police were called to Wordsworth more than 800 times for minor and major crimes, including 12 reports of rape, two of sexual assault, seven of indecent exposure, four of corrupting a minor, and one of child endangerment.

In one case, staff member Norman Thompson allegedly sexually assaulted a victim by touching her genitals and forcing her to touch him. Thompson was later arrested.

In another case, a staff member allegedly raped a 13-year-old girl.

In 2008, a 16-year-old girl was allegedly assaulted by a staff member.

The Philadelphia Inquirer also reported that youth at Wordsworth were allegedly forced to live and sleep in unsafe rooms, with holes in the walls, exposed wiring, broken light fixtures, and heaters that didn’t work. 

• In October 2016, 17-year-old David Hess died after an alleged altercation with staff at Wordsworth Academy. 

Staff allegedly accused the victim of stealing and he became aggressive. Employees allegedly used force to restrain him, punching him in the ribs and putting him in a headlock. The victim allegedly cried out that he couldn’t breathe.

Two weeks before the incident, an employee allegedly punched the victim in the chest. A month before the incident, another employee allegedly hit him in the face.

David’s family was first told he died after falling out of bed and hitting his head. Later, Wordsworth officials said he hit his head during a fight with staff. However, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death was a lack of oxygen.

The victim’s death resulted in the facility shutting down in 2016.

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.