Press Contacts
Linda Paris, Washington Lawyers’ Committee
(202) 308-5186, [email protected]
WASHINGTON – The Washington Lawyers’ Committee announces the filing of a new complaint on behalf of J.D., a survivor of a brutal assault that occurred while he was in the custody of a juvenile detention facility operated by the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (“DYRS”), and his mother, Jane Doe.
“This case is not only about justice for my son, but to put an end to the systemic failures at DYRS that primarily impact Black and Brown children in D.C. DYRS is supposed to rehabilitate our children, but instead, its actions are harming our young people.” said Ms. Doe.
The lawsuit alleges that a DYRS staffer punched J.D. in the face, fracturing his jaw in multiple places, and then strangled him as he lay bleeding while a DYRS supervisor watched.
“This lawsuit exposes how the District of Columbia is failing children in its care,” said Ellie Driscoll, a Legal Fellow at the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. “The Complaint alleges that the District has allowed a culture of abuse to flourish within DYRS, traumatizing the very young people it is charged with protecting and rehabilitating. We are proud to represent J.D. in his fight to hold the District and DYRS staff accountable for what he has endured.”
The incident began when the 14-year-old boy failed to comply with orders to turn over a face mask in his hands. When the face mask was taken from the boy, he stood up. Even though J.D. did not verbally or physically threaten the DYRS employees, the staff punched J.D. in his face, fracturing his jaw in two places.
The assault was so brutal that a nurse practitioner told DYRS’s Office of Internal Integrity that, during her time at Youth Services Center, she had “never seen a youth covered in that much blood.” J.D. will continue to feel the pain and discomfort of a permanently misaligned jaw for the rest of his life.
Despite the bloody attack, the DYRS did not report the incident to District’s Office of Independent Juvenile Justice Facilities Oversight (“OIJJFO”) as required by DC law. J.D.’s hospitalization triggered an investigation by DYRS’s Office of Internal Integrity.
The complaint states that the District of Columbia and its agents, two DYRS employees, violated J.D.’s rights granted under the United States Constitution, including his right to safety while in the custody of the District and his right to be free from excessive force. The lawsuit asserts that the District and its two representatives failed to follow D.C. laws that prohibit battery, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
J.D. would like the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to take meaningful steps that will prevent staff-on-youth assaults by revising training, supervisory, disciplinary, retention and reporting policies. J.D. also seeks compensatory damages and attorneys’ fees.
Read the complaint here.
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WASHINGTON LAWYERS’ COMMITTEE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND URBAN AFFAIRS
The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs partners with community members and organizations on scores of cases to combat discrimination in housing, employment, education, immigration, criminal justice reform, public accommodations, based on race, gender, disability, family size, history of criminal conviction, and more. The Washington Lawyers’ Committee has secured a relentless stream of civil rights victories over the past five decades in an effort to achieve justice for all. For more information, please visit www.washlaw.org.