Lawsuit alleges WA doctor sexually assaulted hundreds of children

WA sued over sexual abuse at juvenile detention centers

Several local law firms are working together in a suit against the state of Washington, alleging it allowed decades of sexual abuse to happen at two juvenile detention schools.

CHEHALIS, Wash. - Several local law firms are working together in a suit against the State of Washington, alleging it allowed decades of sexual abuse and negligence to occur to hundreds of students at two juvenile detention schools.

According to the suit, one of the schools is Maple Lane in Centralia and the other is Green Hill School in Chehalis. FOX 13 Seattle has extensively covered the schools’ history of misconduct and abuse.

The lawsuit is filed by attorneys David S. Vogel, Anne M. Bremner, and Patrick D. Moore, who are representing 14 plaintiffs.

Dig deeper:

Vogel tells FOX 13 Seattle those plaintiffs are just the tip of the iceberg.

"I have filed claims against the state for well over 200 of my clients," he said.

The lawsuit names the Washington Department of Social and Health Services, the Department of Children, Youth and Families, Green Hill and Maple Lane schools, and a doctor who reportedly worked with the schools from 1982 to at least 2020.

The backstory:

The suit alleges this doctor sexually abused and raped hundreds of children behind closed doors when he was supposed to be caring for their health.

"[Under the] pretense that this was all testing, and that they couldn’t move, and it would ruin the results of the test, and you would have to do it again. So, at the end of this so-called test, he would say, ‘you’re a healthy kid, you can put your clothes back on,’ and then he would give them candy on the way out," said Vogel.

Vogel said the doctor accused of the abuse has since left his role.

The doctor is not charged with any crimes, and this case is a civil suit. For these reasons, FOX 13 Seattle is not naming the doctor.

The attorneys said the accused doctor was also a prominent member of the Chehalis community during the time of the alleged abuse.

"By allowing this to happen, the state undermines its own goals of reducing crime in our society and bettering people, so that negligence is just self-defeating from a social level," said Patrick Moore with the Law Firm of Carson and Noel PLLC.

What's next:

Vogel and Moore say their goal is to get their clients justice after years of having their voices silenced.

The case is expected to be heard within the year.

FOX 13 Seattle reached out to DCYF and DSHS for comment. An official with DCYF deferred to DSHS.

An official with DSHS said they do not comment on active litigation.

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