August 6, 2025
CHICAGO, IL – Sauder Schelkopf, a nationally recognized law firm representing survivors of institutional abuse, has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of a former minor patient who alleges she was repeatedly sexually abused while receiving inpatient psychiatric care at Hartgrove Behavioral Health System, a facility owned and operated by Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS).
Filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the lawsuit (Jane Doe T.G. v. UHS of Hartgrove, Inc., et al.) accuses Hartgrove and its parent companies of failing to protect a vulnerable teenager from sexual and emotional abuse during three separate hospitalizations between 2010 and 2011. The plaintiff, referred to as Jane Doe T.G., was just 14 to 16 years old at the time.
According to the complaint, the abuse occurred in both clinical and educational settings and included coerced sexual contact between patients, harassment by staff, and repeated retaliation for refusing advances. The allegations include violations of Title IX, gross negligence, and institutional betrayal, citing a culture of unchecked abuse and a history of federal and state investigations into Hartgrove’s practices.
“The experiences described by our client at Hartgrove are deeply disturbing and, based on publicly available reports, appear consistent with a broader pattern of concerns,” said Joseph Sauder of Sauder Schelkopf. “This lawsuit seeks accountability from a company that, we allege, has placed profit ahead of patient safety, despite longstanding warnings and investigations. Children entrusted to psychiatric care should be protected and supported not exposed to harm.”
The complaint details how UHS and Hartgrove continued to accept public funding while failing to implement basic safety protocols or respond meaningfully to reports of abuse. Government investigations, including a 2010 quality-of-care review by the University of Illinois at Chicago, found Hartgrove exposed patients to “a consistent pattern of unacceptable risks of harm, substandard quality of care, poor clinical judgment and discharge planning, and questionable clinical management practices by hospital and corporate officials at all levels of the organization.”
Sauder Schelkopf is pursuing claims under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Illinois Gender Violence Act, and multiple common law torts including negligent supervision, negligent hiring and retention, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Contact Us Confidentially
Survivors or family members seeking more information may contact Joseph Sauder of Sauder Schelkopf at (610) 200-0580 or via email at jgs@sauderschelkopf.com. All inquiries are confidential and reviewed by an attorney.
Notable Achievements:
- USC $215M Settlement: In collaboration with co-counsel, Sauder Schelkopf secured a $215 million settlement on behalf of women abused by Dr. George Tyndall, a former USC gynecologist. One of the largest campus sex abuse settlements in U.S. history, the resolution includes systemic reforms to USC’s reporting and investigative practices.
- Ohio State University Litigation: Representing former students and athletes abused by Dr. Richard Strauss, Sauder Schelkopf continues to lead litigation against OSU.
- As of January 2025, OSU has paid $40.9 million to resolve claims.
- In June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear OSU’s appeal, allowing the case to proceed to trial.
- As of October 2023, five lawsuits involving 236 men remained pending.
- University of Michigan Settlement: Achieved a class action settlement addressing campus sexual misconduct, resulting in significant institutional reforms.
- Devereux Lawsuit: Filed a class action against Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health over the alleged abuse of children in its care, seeking compensatory and other damages.
- Glen Mills Schools Lawsuit: Representing former students of the now-shuttered Glen Mills Schools in a class action over alleged physical and sexual abuse while in custody.
About Sauder Schelkopf
Sauder Schelkopf has a nationally recognized litigation practice. The firm currently serves as court-appointed lead counsel in courts across the country. The attorneys at Sauder Schelkopf have recovered over $1 billion on behalf of their clients and class members. LawDragon has recognized our attorneys in its list of the “500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers” for 2022. Mr. Schelkopf was named to Pennsylvania’s Best Lawyers® 2022 for Class Actions/Mass Tort Litigation. The American Lawyer named Mr. Sauder to its 2021 Northeast Trailblazers. The honor recognizes 60 lawyers who are “truly agents of change.” It “recognizes professionals in the Northeast who have moved the needle in the legal industry.” The Legal Intelligencer named Mr. Sauder and Mr. Schelkopf in its 2020 Pennsylvania Trailblazers list recognizing 31 lawyers who “have taken extra measures to contribute to positive outcomes . . . and who are truly agents of change.” Our attorneys have also consistently been recognized by their peers being named to Pennsylvania SuperLawyer, a distinction held by the top 5% of attorneys in Pennsylvania.