LevyKonigsberg and co-counsel filed lawsuits on Monday on behalf of over 250 survivors of sexual abuse against Cook County and the State of Illinois. The lawsuits allege that Cook County and the State failed to protect children from rampant sexual abuse perpetrated by adult employees at juvenile detention facilities throughout the state. These lawsuits are the latest in a string of juvenile detention abuse lawsuits spearheaded by Levy Konigsberg along with its co-counsel across the State of Illinois and the United States.
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Cook County and the State of Illinois have allowed a culture of sexual abuse to flourish at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC) and Illinois Youth Centers (IYC) for several decades. As a result of chronic mismanagement, patronage, overcrowding, and inadequate supervision, JTDC has maintained an environment of violence, fear, and sexual abuse for many decades. As recently as 2022, a committee convened by the Office of the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County reported the “harsh reality that JTDC youth are locked in their cells for most of the day, every day…. No parent would be allowed to do this to their child.”
Similarly, several of theIYC facilities throughout the state have been identified by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as having the highest rates of sexual victimization in the nation. From civil lawsuits and criminal cases involving abusive guards to alarming investigative findings, the record shows that the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) and other entities that operate jails or facilities that house youth inmates failed to reign in a culture of secrecy and cover-ups that allowed staff-on-inmate abuse to persist for decades.
The suits filed by LevyKonigsberg were brought under the recently amended Childhood Sexual Abuse Act as codified at 735 ILCS 5/13-202.2. The Childhood Sexual Abuse Act provides legal pathways for victims of this type of sexual abuse to pursue damages from their abusers and from the institutions that enabled the abuse by increasing the time in which survivors of sexual abuse are permitted to come forward and file civil lawsuits.
The Survivors who have filed clams so far include those who suffered sexual abuse as far back as the 1990s and up through recent years. The plaintiffs, who are now adults, were sexually abused as children ranging from age 9 to 17. The perpetrators of the sexual abuse were supervisors, correctional officers, counselors, supervisors and other staff.
In announcing Monday’s lawsuits filed against the State of Illinois and Cook County, LevyKonigsberg Partner Jerome Block stated:
“The complaints we have filed on behalf of hundreds of survivors of childhood sexual abuse in Illinois juvenile facilities identify dozens of correctional officers and staff, some of whom sexually abused multiple victims. These juvenile detention center staff members systematically preyed upon children, forcing them to perform sexual acts and causing lifelong trauma and suffering. This is a growing scandal that points to the failure of the juvenile justice system in Illinois. Fortunately, the Illinois Childhood Sexual Abuse Act allows these courageous men and women to come forward now and seek justice and accountability.”
LevyKonigsberg has filed more than a thousand lawsuits on behalf of survivors of sexual abuse nationwide and is at the forefront of litigation inNew York, Maryland, New Jersey, Illinois, Pennsylvania and other states.
LevyKonigsberg represents hundreds of survivors of childhood sexual abuse atIllinoisjuvenile detention facilities and plans to continue fighting tirelessly on their behalf.
For additional information aboutIllinois youth center sex abuse lawsuitsspearheaded by Levy Konigsberg, and its co-counsel, media members and journalists are encouraged to reach out to Attorney Jerome Block by using the law firm’s contact form:https://www.levylaw.com/contact-us/
Media Contact: Attorney Jerome Block;Jblock@levylaw.com
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