Sauder Schelkopf and co-counsel filed a federal lawsuit in Pennsylvania against Devereux Foundation (a/k/a Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health) and QualityHealth Staffing, LLC. The complaint details multiple allegations of abuse and other violations including assault, battery, failure to report child abuse, Title IX creation of a sexually hostile culture/heightened risk of sexual harassment, and deliberate indifference to prior sexual harassment.
The complaint includes allegations of the rape and sexual abuse of inpatient clients as well as abuses committed by fellow inpatients that were ignored and/or suppressed by Devereux staff and management. Some patients who raised such allegations claim they were not only disregarded but punished for initiating complaints, including the withholding of food, physical restraint, isolation, and even physical abuse.
Read the complaint here
Related News
Chester County finds no abuse of CYF placements at Devereux
Two Devereux employees arrested; two others fired in child abuse case
9 employees facing assault related charges at Devereux health center
2 employees at behavioral facility accused in Brevard County child abuse case
Devereux employee in Viera accused of sexual relationship with student bonds out of jail
Experience Matters
Sauder Schelkopf has a nationally recognized litigation practice. Our former prosecutors have extensive experience representing victims of all ages. The Legal Intelligencer named Sauder Schelkopf partners to its 2020 Pennsylvania Trailblazers. The honor recognizes 31 lawyers who “have taken extra measures to contribute to positive outcomes . . . and who are truly agents of change.” The Legal highlights our partner’s innovative work on advocacy as class counsel in large institutional sex abuse cover-ups, women’s, and children’s rights.
Juvenile Justice:
- We currently represent hundreds of individuals whose rights were violated while they were detained in a juvenile detention facility. Sauder Schelkopf and co-counsel filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of current and former students of The Glen Mills Schools who allege that they were physically and mentally abused while attending the School.
Civil Rights
- In Allison, et al. v. The GEO Group, Mr. Sauder served as co-lead counsel and achieved a $2.9 million settlement on behalf of pretrial detainees whose civil rights were violated at the Delaware County prison.
- In Kurian v. County of Lancaster, Mr. Sauder served as co-lead counsel and achieved a $2.5 million settlement in this civil rights class action lawsuit on behalf of pretrial detainees.
Sexual Abuse
- Sauder Schelkopf, and co-counsel, recently reached a $215 million settlement on behalf of female patients of Dr. George Tyndall, a gynecologist at the University of Southern California accused of sexual misconduct since the 1990s.
- We have represented survivors of clergy sexual abuse in dioceses throughout the country.
- We have a class action lawsuit pending on behalf of males who were victims of sexual misconduct by Dr. Richard Strauss, the Ohio State team doctor, while they were students and student-athletes at Ohio State University.
- We have been court-appointed as Interim Co-Class Counsel to represent former students of the University of Michigan who were victims of sexual misconduct by Dr. Robert E. Anderson, former director of University Health Service, and a former athletic team physician, who worked at the University of Michigan from 1968 until his retirement in 2003.
We Want to Hear from You
If you are a survivor of physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse, you can confidentially contact the lawyers at Sauder Schelkopf by filling out the form on this page or calling 888.711.9975