Sauder Schelkopf is investigating abuse allegations that were reported to have occurred at the Delaware County Juvenile Justice Center. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on March 13, 2021, that the “Delaware County Council President Brian Zidek and District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer confirmed that County President Judge Kevin Kelly had ordered all children housed at the Lima center to be transferred immediately.”
These are only allegations and have not at this time been proven in court.
The county website states “the Detention Center provides a secure setting protecting the community from young people, ages 10 through 18, whose behavior has endangered and/or appears likely to endanger the citizens an/or their property within the community.”
The attorneys at Sauder Schelkopf have extensive experience litigating abuse cases. We are currently litigating abuse cases against The Glen Mills Schools and Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health.
View final audit report – 2020
Related News
Grand jury finds sexual assault, abuse, and cover-ups at Delaware County’s ‘kid jail’
Delaware County Juvenile Detention Center closed in wake of abuse allegations
Delco Juvenile Justice Center shut down following abuse allegations
Judge empties Delaware County Juvenile Justice Center after allegations of rampant abuse
Former juvie center employee gets 9-23 months for sex assault
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 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 recently announced a landmark class action settlement in which the University of Michigan agreed to “major institutional reforms.” It was alleged that UofM longtime employment of a predatory former sports doctor evidenced a toxic environment where students face an increased risk of sexual violence in violation of Title IX. The settlement comes after widespread allegations by over 1000 survivors 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