Lawsuits are being filed by people who were sexually abused as children in Los Angeles County Juvenile Detention Centers, such as Camp Scott and more.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Camp Scott Sexual Abuse induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was sexually abused in a Juvenile Detention Center in Los Angeles County or other locations, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Child Sexual Abuse Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Camp Scott Sex Abuse Lawsuits Filed Against L.A. County
Hundreds of men and women have filed lawsuits describing the sexual abuse they suffered as children in juvenile detention centers in Los Angeles County, California, and other states. These lawsuits blame employees for physically and sexually abusing children, ignoring complaints, and failing to stop the abusers.
What is Camp Scott?
Camp Joseph Scott (“CAMP SCOTT”) is a juvenile detention center for female minors that is located in rural Santa Clarita, Los Angeles.
Camp Scott has a capacity of 125 beds, with girls ranging in age from 12 to 18 years old. Girls would stay for periods of 3, 6, or 9 months.
The physical confinement at Camp Scott was court-ordered, mandatory, and the amount of time each girl spent incarcerated was dependent on their “good behavior” and compliance with rules.
What is the Problem?
The sexual abusers at Camp Scott were employees who used their position of power and authority to rape, molest, and harass girls who were under 18, according to lawsuits. These employees sometimes traded candy and other privileges for sexual favors, punished girls who refused to cooperate, or retaliated against girls who tried to report the abuse.
Lawsuits Accuse LA County of Failing to Stop Sex Abuse in Juvenile Detention Centers
These horrific accusations have been made by adult women who have come forward to file sex abuse lawsuits against L.A. County for failing to protect young girls, failing to stop known sex abusers, and ignoring complaints from the brave girls who did come forward to report being sexually abused.
What Do Lawsuits Claim?
Lawsuits for the survivors of Camp Scott claim there was a systemic, ongoing failure by L.A. County to fix problems with child abuse in the juvenile detention system. This created a culture of abuse and physical violence where the abusers had near-constant access to victims, with little or no fear of repercussions.
Where Was The Lawsuit Filed?
Lawyers and dozens of plaintiffs filed the L.A. County Juvenile Detention Sex Abuse Lawsuit on June 12, 2023 in the Superior Court of the State of California (County of Los Angeles) — In RE: John DL-2 ROE, et al. vs. COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES (a governmental entity) et. al. — Case No.: 23STCV13438.
Who Filed The Lawsuit?
The lawsuit was filed by dozens of unnamed men and women (identified only as “John Roe” and “Jane Roe” in the lawsuit) who were sexually abused and traumatized as incarcerated minors at Camp Scott and other juvenile detention centers in Los Angeles County.
Can I Join A Class Action Lawsuit?
Instead of a class action, lawyers are filing individual lawsuits for people who were sexually abused as children at Camp Joseph Scott and other juvenile detention facilities in L.A. County.
Do I Qualify To File A Lawsuit?
You may be eligible to file a lawsuit if your current age is:
- Under 40 years old
- You were a minor at the time of the sexual abuse
- The location of the abuse was at a Los Angeles County Juvenile Detention Center
- The abuse was skin-to-skin (molestation, rape, groping, fondling, unnecessary exams, etc.)
- The abuse was sexual in nature
- You must remember a description and/or name of the abuser
Individual Lawsuits vs. Class Action Lawsuits
Like a class action lawsuit, some lawsuits involve dozens of plaintiffs. Other lawsuits involve just one person who is seeking justice with their attorney. Unlike a class action, if money is awarded to a person who filed an individual lawsuit, the person does not have to divide the payout with everyone in the class action.
How Do I Get a Lawsuit Settlement?
The advantage of an individual lawsuit is that if any money is awarded to a victim through a settlement, judicial decision, or jury verdict, the money will not need to be divided with everyone who qualifies to join the class action. This is an advantage for individuals who were severely harmed and traumatized by sexual abuse — especially if they are awarded a really big settlement or jury verdict.
How Much Money Is My Lawsuit Settlement Worth?
If you decide to file a lawsuit for sexual abuse at Camp Scott, your lawsuit could be worth financial compensation. Here are examples:
- Money for physical pain and suffering
- Past and future psychological trauma, emotional pain and suffering
- Ongoing care for lifelong injuries, health problems, or trauma
- Lost income or earning potential
- Decreased quality of life
- Medical treatment (hospital bills, therapy, medication, etc.)
- And more
Complaints Of Sex Abuse Fell on Deaf Ears
Juvenile Detention Centers were supposed to be a “safe haven” where professionals could help troubled youth in Los Angeles County, California.
Instead, youth were subjected to horrific abuse. Lawsuits have been filed by adult survivors who claim they were traumatized, victimized, and systematically silenced when they were children, or punished when they tried to come forward.
Many of these survivors have the same tragic story to tell. They say their complaints fell on deaf ears with no recourse, formal hearings, or resolution efforts.
Officials in L.A. County are accused of failing to take action to terminate the employment of abusers, put known abusers in prison, notify law enforcement, or maintain a system for effectively responding to complaints involving abuse.
Examples of Psychological Trauma From Sex Abuse At Camp Scott
Tragically, hundreds of men and women who were sexually abused as children in L.A. County Juvenile Detention Facilities have been left shattered, with severe psychological trauma:
- Mental, emotional and physical problems
- Behavior problems (sometimes leading to lifelong problems with crime, violence, jail-time, poor performance in school, etc.)
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Feeling helpless
- Insomnia
- Questioning sexual identity
- Low self-esteem
- Moodiness
- Difficulty in meaningfully interacting with others
- Lack of intimate relationships
- Lack of trust
- Control issues
- Distrusting authorities (police, teachers, or other people in a position of power)
- Shame
- Flashbacks to traumatic events
- Intrusive thoughts
- Stress and nervousness
- Fear
- Embarrassment and shame
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Sexual violence, inappropriate sexual behaviors, or hyper-sexuality (especially common for young girls and boys who were sexually abused or groomed as children)
Sex With Underage Girls Is Always Illegal Because Minors Can’t “Consent” Legally
The girls at Camp Scott were all under 18, so they were legally unable to give consent to sexual acts. It is always illegal for adults to engage in sex acts with children under 18 because minors can’t legally give their consent to sex.
The lawsuit includes girls who were forcibly raped, molested, groped, or assaulted against their will by employees at Camp Scott and other juvenile detention facilities in L.A. County, but the lawsuit also involves other types of abuse. For example, some survivors said they were “groomed” by employees or bribed into sex acts in exchange for favors.
Trauma Of Sex Abuse Can Last a Lifetime
The trauma of sexual abuse in childhood can have lasting effects, but even in adulthood, some girls may not understand what happened. They may not recognize that it was illegal sexual abuse. They may not be willing to re-live painful memories or past trauma in order to come forward and seek justice. This is why lawmakers in California have created a “look-back” window for adult survivors to file civil lawsuits for abuses that happened many years ago.
What Is The “Look-Back Window” For Sex Abuse Lawsuits?
California and other states have passed laws creating a “look-back window” for adults to file lawsuits for sexual abuse that happened years or even decades ago, when they were children.
This has opened the floodgates for sex abuse lawsuits that would have ordinarily been dismissed by the court system because they were time-barred, long past the time-limit in the “statute of limitations.”
Sex Abuse Survivors Can File Lawsuits in California
This may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for adult survivors of sex abuse at Camp Scott to come forward, file individual lawsuits or join lawsuits against California Juvenile Detention Centers (or elsewhere).
If you are a survivor of sex abuse at Camp Scott or another facility, our lawyer smay be able to help you seek the justice and financial compensation you deserve from those responsible in L.A. County.
Juvenile Detention Sex Abuse Lawsuits in CA, IL, MD, PA, NY, Other States
In 2023 and 2024, many lawsuits were filed against state juvenile justice centers in California, Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and other states. These lawsuits involve sex abuse that happened many years ago, when the adults were just children.
Sex Abuse Survivors Must Act Now To Seek Justice
These sex abuse lawsuits are only possible now because lawmakers voted to create temporary, short-term, “look-back windows” to give adults an opportunity to file lawsuits that were otherwise too late.
List of Juvenile Detention Centers in Los Angeles County
The Los Angeles County Probation Department operates at least 18 youth detention camps that are owned and operated by the county. The exclusively youth-based juvenile detention centers include:
- Camp Scott
- Camp Scudder
- Camp Kilpatrick
- Camp Miller
- Camp Smith
- Camp Rockey
- Camp Jarvis
- Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall (closed 2019)
- Central Juvenile Hall / Eastlake Juvenile Hall or “Central”
- Barry Nidorf Juvenile Hall
- Dorothy Kirby Detention Center
- And more
L.A. County Juvenile Facilities Called Unsuitable for Youth Confinement
Several of these L.A. County Juvenile Detention facilities have a long history of problems, like failing to provide video footage when force is used on a child, or failing to quickly report the use of force on children.
In recent years, the California Board of State and Community Corrections has ordered the closure of several juvenile facilities in L.A. County after they were found “unsuitable for the confinement of youth.”
Investigators found problems with video footage recording the use of force, a lack of routine safety checks, a lack of mental health resources for troubled youths, and a lack of safety protections for kids who were harmed by other violent kids.
State Forces Shut-Down Of Unsafe Juvenile Detention Facilities in LA County
In February 2024, State of California ordered the shut-down of LA County’s two largest juvenile facilities due to “unsuitable” conditions for housing youth. The shut-down facilities were Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, and Barry J. Nidorf Secure Youth Treatment Facillity in Sylmar, California.
Investigators Find Systemic Problems With Abuse, Lack Of Oversight
In January 2021, the California Department of Justice issued a scathing report after investigators found that L.A. County failed to maintain a “safe, supportive, homelike environment” in its juvenile halls,.
Employees were found to have used excessive force, and failed to protect youth inmates from violence by other youth. Investigators found many problems, including:
- Staff’s use of excessive force
- Inadequate training for employees
- A lack of medical and mental health care for youth
- Inappropriate isolation of youth (several days or solitary confinement was sometimes used as punishment for youth inmates)
- Lack of oversight and accountability. Youth who submitted grievances or complaints rarely received a response, or if they did, it was delayed and no charges were filed.
Sexual Abusers Allowed To Continue Working With Girls
A report by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG) “noted that multiple youth had alleged sexual misconduct by a particular staff member, but that youth reported that the staff member was permitted to continue interacting with female youth who had complained about the conduct.”
Several youths indicated that staff advised them not to waste their time filing grievances. Some youths were unaware that could call the Office of Ombudsman to file a complaint, according to the report.
Do I have a Camp Scott Sexual Abuse Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Camp Joseph Scott induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was sexually abused in a juvenile detention center in Los Angeles County, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Sexual Abuse Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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